# Queenfish

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{{Short description|Species of fish}}
{{About|the American usage of the term for fish|the Southern hemisphere fish|Scomberoides|the United States submarine|USS Queenfish|2014 Indian film|Machhli Jal Ki Rani Hai}}
{{Speciesbox
| fossil_range = {{fossil range|Late Miocene|present}}
| image = Seriphus politus Mspc094.jpg
| image_caption = 
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| parent_authority = [Ayres](/source/William_Orville_Ayres), 1860
| taxon = Seriphus politus
| authority = [Ayres](/source/William_Orville_Ayres), 1860
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Chao, L. |author2=Espinosa-Perez, H. |date=2020 |title=''Seriphus politus'' |volume=2020 |article-number=e.T183750A131076324 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T183750A131076324.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref>
}}

The '''queenfish''' (''Seriphus politus'') is a species of fish in the family [Sciaenidae](/source/Sciaenidae), the drums and croakers. It is native to the eastern [Pacific Ocean](/source/Pacific_Ocean), where it occurs along the North American coastline from [Oregon](/source/Oregon) to [Baja California](/source/Baja_California); it has been recorded as far north as [British Columbia](/source/British_Columbia).<ref name=fb>Froese, R. and D. Pauly, Eds. [http://www.fishbase.org/summary/Seriphus-politus.html ''Seriphus politus''.] FishBase. 2017.</ref><ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /> Its centre of distribution is the [Southern California Bight](/source/Southern_California_Bight).<ref name=demartini>DeMartini, E. E., et al. (1985). [http://www.csun.edu/~nmfrp/publications/DeMartini%20et%20al%201985.pdf Diel and depth variations in the sex-specific abundance, size composition, and food habits of queenfish, ''Seriphus politus'' (Sciaenidae).] NOAA Fishery Bulletin 83, no. 2. 171-85.</ref> It is also known commonly as the '''queen croaker'''.<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021"/> This is the only species in the [monotypic genus](/source/monotypic_taxon) '''''Seriphus'''''.<ref name=fb/> A fossil relative, ''[S. lavenbergi](/source/Seriphus_lavenbergi)'', is known from the Late [Miocene](/source/Miocene)-aged [Puente Formation](/source/Puente_Formation) of the [Los Angeles Basin](/source/Los_Angeles_Basin).<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=California Academy of Sciences |url=https://archive.org/details/occasionalpaper00calif |title=Occasional papers of the California Academy of Sciences |date=1890 |publisher=San Francisco : California Academy of Sciences |others=California Academy of Sciences}}</ref>

==Description==
right|thumb|Distinguishing features
This species is up to {{convert|30|cm}} long.<ref name=fb/> It has an elongated, compressed body. It is blue-grey to tan in colour with a shiny silver belly and a dark horizontal line running the length of the body. The pectoral fin is dark and the other fins are yellowish. The mouth contains one or two rows of pointed teeth.<ref name=si>{{cite web|url=http://biogeodb.stri.si.edu/sftep/en/thefishes/species/1484 |title=''Seriphus politus''|website= Shorefishes of the Eastern Pacific|publisher= Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute}}</ref>

==Biology==
This marine fish occurs in coastal waters, such as bays and [sloughs](/source/slough_(hydrology)), moving to deeper waters at night.<ref name=fb/>

It feeds on marine invertebrates and small fish.<ref name=fb/> It eats [plankton](/source/plankton)ic crustaceans such as [copepod](/source/copepod)s when it is a juvenile. Adults also feed on [Californian anchovy](/source/Californian_anchovy) (''Engraulis mordax'').<ref name=demartini/>

This species forms schools.<ref name=fb/> It is prey for many kinds of larger fish, such as [kelp bass](/source/Paralabrax_clathratus) (''Paralabrax clathratus'').<ref name=demartini/>

==Conservation==
Little population information is available for this species, but it is not considered to be threatened.<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021"/>

This is a common [sport fishing](/source/Recreational_fishing) catch on Southern California fishing piers.<ref name=demartini/>

==References==
{{Commons category|Seriphus politus}}
{{Reflist}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q1796044}}

Category:Sciaenidae
Category:Western North American coastal fauna
Category:Fish described in 1860

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Queenfish](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queenfish) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queenfish?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.