“Whiting” is only one of the angler’s names used for the three kingfish species, which fishermen catch in the Cape Fear River and along the rest of the North Carolina coast.
Runs of these fish typically consist of one species but sometimes include some of the others. Other names for the fish, which can weigh one to three pounds, include sea mullet, Virginia mullet and tiger mullet. Perhaps the name “whiting” is a nod to their white flesh, which rivals that of flounder for flavor and texture.
The southern kingfish (Menticirrhus americanus) has a lighter back and sides than the northern kingfish and has brown or bronze markings. The northern kingfish (M. saxatilis) has a darker back and sides, with darker markings that can be almost black and the first spine of the dorsal fin is elongated. The Gulf kingfish (M. littoralis) is silvery gray with no distinct markings.
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