Yellowfin croaker

Taxobox
name = Yellowfin croacker


image_width = 250px
image_caption =
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Actinopterygii
ordo = Perciformes
familia = Sciaenidae
genus = "Umbrina"
species = "U. roncador"
binomial = "Umbrina roncador"
binomial_authority = Jordan & Gilbert, 1882

Yellowfin croacker ("Umbrina roncador") is a species of croaker occurring from the Gulf of California, Mexico, to Point Conception, California. They frequent bays, channels, harbors and other nearshore waters over sandy bottoms. These croakers are more abundant along beaches during the summer months and may move to deeper water in winter.

Other common names include yellowfin drum, Catalina croaker, yellowtailed croaker, and golden croaker.

Description

The body of the yellowfin croaker is elliptical-elongate with the back somewhat arched. The head is conical and blunt. The color is iridescent blue to gray with brassy reflections on the back diffusing to silvery white below. The sides and back have many diagonal dark wavy lines. The fins are yellowish except for the dark dorsal fins. The yellowfin croaker differs from other California croakers in having a single fleshy projection, a barbel, on the lower jaw and two heavy spines at the front of the anal fin.

The diet of the yellowfin croaker consists mainly of small fishes and fish fry; however, invertebrates such as small crustaceans, worms and mollusks are also eaten in large numbers. Spawning takes place during the summer months when this species is most common along the sandy beaches. Maturity is apparently not reached until the fish are slightly over 9 inches long. The largest recorded specimen was 20.13 inches; no weight reported. However, an 18-inch yellowfin croaker weighed 4.5 pounds.

Fishing information

Yellowfin croaker are most often taken by surf anglers using softshelled sand crabs, worms, mussels, clams, "Gulp!" soft baits, or cut fish as bait. They are most commonly caught between Ventura County and Central Baja California.

ee also

*"Umbrina cerrosa", European genus

References

*Much of this article is copied from [http://www.dfg.ca.gov/mrd/mspcont3.html#yellowfin California Marine Sportfish] by the California Department of Fish and Game, Marine Region; a public domain resource. [http://www.dfg.ca.gov/html/conditions.html#ownership]
*FishBase species|genus=Umbrina|species=roncador|year=2006|month=5