Black Drum
Pogonias cromis
Spot Croaker
Leiostomus xanthurus
About
The spot croaker is a small, deep-bodied fish named for the dark mark behind its gills. It grows to about 36 cm and is a common catch in coastal waters and estuaries.
Also known as: spot
- Length
- 25 cm · max 36 cm
- Weight
- max 450 g
- Depth
- up to 60 m
How to tell it apart
It is easily confused with the Atlantic croaker and other drums. Look for the large black spot on the body just above the gill cover — a mark the Atlantic croaker does not have.
Appearance
This is a deep, laterally flattened fish with a humped back and an almost horizontal mouth that lacks teeth on the lower jaw. The upper body is bluish-grey, fading to yellow or gold below. Young fish show diagonal dark bars running from the back toward the middle of the sides, which fade as they grow older. A large black spot sits on the body just above the upper edge of the gill cover.
Habitat
Spot croakers live over sandy and muddy bottoms in coastal waters and estuaries, from close to shore down to about 60 m. They shift with the seasons, staying in bays and estuaries until spring, moving to saltier water in summer, and heading offshore as the water cools in autumn.
Breeding
Spawning happens offshore in deeper water during fall and early winter. Eggs are fertilised in open water and drift back toward the coast, and the fast-growing larvae move into shallow coastal waters and bays for the winter.
Did you know?
Its species name, xanthurus, means 'yellow tail', but the tail of this fish is not actually yellow — the name may be a mix-up with a different species.
Log it in Into the Blue
Describe what you saw and we name it, then keep every species you find in your Oceandex.
