The whitemouth croaker (Micropogonias furnieri) is present in the Western Atlantic Ocean; most of the Antilles and along the southern Caribbean coast and the Atlantic coast of South America from Costa Rica to Argentina. The presence in US waters is scarce and not very common, although is present in Florida East coast. The total catch reported for this species to FAO for 1996 was 78 698 t. The countries with the largest catches were Uruguay (25 745 t) and Argentina (23 514 t).Caught with bottom trawls, set nets, beach seines and on line gear.

This is a demersal species that inhabits muddy and sandy bottoms on littoral areas towards estuarine regions. Studies of population dynamics are scarce but the populations are subdivided in northern and southern groups (Isaac 1988).