UC San Diego Library – Scripps Digital Collection

Sciaenids live along shallow, sandy shores in most of the tropical and temperate seas. While many species tolerate or seek out estuarine waters and a few live only in fresh water, the family is essentially marine.

Along the southern California coast this fish family is represented by seven genera (and species): queenfish, Seriphus politus; white seabass, Cynoscion nobilis; black croaker, Cheilotrema saturna; white croaker, Genyonemus lineatus; yellowfin croaker, Umbrina roncador; spotfin croaker, Roncador stearnsi; and California corbina, Menticirrhus undulatus.

Jordan and Evermann (1898) reported that shortfin seabass, Cynoscion parvipinnis, ranged as far north as Santa Barbara and were, "common along the coast of southern California as far north as San Pedro." They no longer are full-year residents but may visit our area from the warmer waters of southern Baja California. Their former intrusion into the California fauna was presumably a response to the warmer waters of the last century.

Hubbs (1921a) erroneously described Sciaena thompsoni, from a malformed sciaenid taken off Santa Catalina Island that has since been identified as a yellowfin croaker (Hubbs, personal communication).

Wherever sciaenids occur in any abundance, their moderate to large sizes, excellent flesh, and susceptability to a variety of simple fishing gear have placed them among the most desirable of all food and game fishes.

In southern California, as along most temperate and tropical shores of the world, sciaenids have attained prominence both as commercial and sport fish. Commercial landings of white seabass ranged between 405,000 and 3,386,000 pounds from 1948 to 1960 and have consistently ranked high in public favor. Moreover, their fighting qualities, excellent flesh, and size (up to a reported 80 pounds) make white seabass among the most sought-after of all California sport fishes.

Minor landings of queenfish and white croakers are annually made for the fresh-fish market and both species, although seldom esteemed, are taken in large numbers by sportfishermen.

The other four California sciaenids—black croaker, yellowfin croaker, spotfin croaker and California corbina—are completely protected from commercial exploitation and are reserved by State law solely for sport anglers. Yellowfin croakers, spotfin croakers and California corbinas have been protected from nets of all kinds since 1909 and their purchase or sale has been illegal since 1915. It has been illegal to buy or sell black croakers since 1933.

California corbinas and spotfin croakers, the forms considered in this study, are perhaps the most desirable of any of the southern California surf fishes. The sport fisheries for these species are of high importance, from both economic and recreational considerations. Although there are no records to indicate the numbers of southern California surf fishermen or their catch, devotees of the sport total many thousands.