Black Drum
Pogonias cromis
Red Drum
Sciaenops ocellatus
About
The red drum is a big, coppery gamefish known for the drumming sound males make by vibrating their swim bladder. It can reach 155 cm and weigh up to 45 kg, though most run closer to 100 cm.
Also known as: redfish, channel bass, tropical sea bass, spottail bass
- Length
- 1 m · max 1.6 m
- Weight
- max 45 kg
How to tell it apart
It can be confused with the closely related black drum, which shares the same waters and can even interbreed with it, but the red drum's black eyespot at the base of the tail is the clearest tell.
Appearance
The back is a dark coppery red, fading to white on the belly, with a streamlined, torpedo-shaped body. A single large black spot sits on the upper part of the tail base, though some fish carry several extra spots and a few have none at all. The mouth points downward, suited to feeding along the bottom.
Habitat
Young fish live in grassy marshes within bays and estuaries, while older fish move to rocky outcrops, jetties, and structures such as oil rigs and bridge pilings, often over sand or sandy mud. It lives from about 10 m deep and shallower, along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the southeastern United States.
Breeding
Spawning happens in late summer and fall, near estuary mouths and inlets along barrier island beaches. Males vibrate their swim bladders to make a drumming sound that draws in females. Eggs hatch quickly, and the tiny larvae ride tidal currents into sheltered marsh creeks to grow.
Did you know?
The black spot near its tail is thought to trick predators into striking the tail instead of the head, giving the red drum a chance to escape.
Log it in Into the Blue
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