Gulf King Whiting, Spot 



379 



Gulf Kingfish or King Whiting 

 Menticirrhus littoralis (Holbrook) 



The Gulf Kingfish is common on the Gulf coast and along 

 the shores of the south Atlantic states north to North 

 Carolina. It occurs as a stray in Chesapeake Bay. This spe- 

 cies is silvery gray above, paler beneath; it has no dark 

 markings on its sides. It is a good food and game fish. 



Spot, Lafayette 

 Leiostomus xanthurus Lacepede 



Color: Blue-gray above with, a golden glitter; silvery below. 

 Sides with 12-15 yellow oblique bars, indistinct in very 

 large fish. Large yellow-black spot just behind upper edge 

 of gill slit. 



Distribution: Occurs in coastal waters from Texas to Cape 

 Cod and as a rare stray to Massachusetts Bay. 

 Size: Maximum length about 13Vi inches with a weight of 

 about Wi pounds. Most fish are usually less than 10 inches 

 long and weigh one-quarter to three-quarters of a pound. 

 General Information: The Spot is common in the coastal 

 salt and brackish waters of protected bays, coves, and 

 estuaries. It is most numerous in the Chesapeake area. In 

 periods of abundance, large numbers of Spot appear off 

 the shores of northern New Jersey and New York. Spawn- 



