Kingfish is the name given to many different fishes. These include two important food fishes of the mackerel family and several species of the drum family.
The king mackerel, or kingfish, belongs to the same family as the Spanish mackerel. It lives in the Atlantic Ocean from Brazil to Cape Cod. This fish usually weighs about 5 pounds (2.3 kilograms), but large ones may grow to 51/2 feet (1.7 meters) long and weigh almost 80 pounds (36 kilograms). Like the Spanish mackerel, it has a sharp, V-shaped tail fin and a bluish back, but it is longer and heavier. A related species, the cero, is also called kingfish. It is usually found around coral reefs, especially near the Florida Keys.
The northern kingfish, southern kingfish, and gulf kingfish are found in shallow coastal waters of the Atlantic. They grow from 15 to 18 inches (38 to 46 centimeters) long. They are grayish brown above with silvery sides. The northern kingfish has dark bars on the body. The world kingfish is also applied to a number of related species of fishes found off Australia, Southeast Asia and India, and California.
Some types of kingfishes are popular among sports enthusiasts. The king mackerel has been heavily fished along the Atlantic coast of the United States. As a result, the government has imposed strict limits on commercial and recreational fishing of this species.
