{{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, 1860 | taxon = Seriphus politus | authority = 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, the drums and croakers. It is native to the eastern Pacific Ocean, where it occurs along the North American coastline from Oregon to Baja California; it has been recorded as far north as 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.<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 '''''Seriphus'''''.<ref name=fb/> A fossil relative, ''S. lavenbergi'', is known from the Late Miocene-aged Puente Formation of the 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, moving to deeper waters at night.<ref name=fb/>
It feeds on marine invertebrates and small fish.<ref name=fb/> It eats planktonic crustaceans such as copepods when it is a juvenile. Adults also feed on 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 (''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 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