Northern KingfishorSouthern Kingfish
Two fish anglers mix up. Here is what separates them, and what each one’s rules are in your state.
How to tell them apart
Northern Kingfish
Dark diagonal bars forming a V at the shoulder, a long first dorsal spine, and a single chin barbel.
Southern Kingfish
Chin barbel, no air bladder croaks here — the surf 'sea mullet'.
Southern kingfish, next to northern kingfish: fainter bars, no shoulder V, shorter dorsal spine.
Side by side
| Northern Kingfish | Southern Kingfish | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Menticirrhus saxatilis | Menticirrhus americanus |
| Also called | Sea mullet, Whiting, Roundhead | — |
| Waters | Inshore | Inshore |
| Heaviest state record | 4 lb · Delaware (1973) | 4 lb · Delaware (1973) |
| On the table | Very good — sweet white surf-fish fillets. | Very good surf panfish. |
| Rules of its own in | 3 states | 2 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
The two fish are regulated differently in 1 of 3 states with a rule for either. In North Carolina, northern kingfish is No size limit, No bag limit while southern kingfish has no rule of its own there. Call the fish wrong and you keep a short one or throw back a legal one.
| State | Northern Kingfish: size · bag · season | Southern Kingfish: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenMS DMR 2026 · likely · checked | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenMS DMR 2026 · checked |
| North Carolina | No size limitNo bag limitOpen year-roundOpenNC DMF 2026 · checked | Not specifically regulated; the state’s default for unlisted species applies. |
| South Carolina | No size limit50/day aggregateOpen year-roundOpenSC DNR 2026 · checked | No size limit50/day aggregateOpen year-roundOpenSC DNR 2026 · checked |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, northern kingfish or southern kingfish, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell northern kingfish from southern kingfish?
Northern Kingfish: Dark diagonal bars forming a V at the shoulder, a long first dorsal spine, and a single chin barbel. Southern Kingfish: Chin barbel, no air bladder croaks here — the surf 'sea mullet'. Southern kingfish, next to northern kingfish: fainter bars, no shoulder V, shorter dorsal spine.
Which gets bigger, northern kingfish or southern kingfish?
Northern Kingfish. The heaviest state record we hold is 4 lb in Delaware; the heaviest southern kingfish record is 4 lb in Delaware.
Which is better to eat, northern kingfish or southern kingfish?
Northern Kingfish: Very good — sweet white surf-fish fillets. Southern Kingfish: Very good surf panfish.
Do northern kingfish and southern kingfish have the same limits?
Not everywhere. They differ in 1 state rulebooks. North Carolina: northern kingfish No size limit, No bag limit, southern kingfish no rule of its own.