Drum Fish: Description, Types, Pictures, & Fun Facts

Drum Fish: All You Need To Know

The drum fish (Sciaenidae) is a carnivorous fish that belongs to the Animalia family, phylum Chordata, class Actinopterygii, order Perciformes, and family Sciaenidae. Its genus is Sciaena. The drum fish ranges in size up to 6.6 feet in length, and weighs up to 225 pounds, with a lifetime up to 50 years.

Drum fish are freshwater and saltwater fish that eat mollusks, insects, and fish. The most distinguishing characteristic is the croaking noise.

Drum fish are preyed upon by birds, fish, and humans. Brown, red, black, white, and silver colours and scales on the skin are physical characteristics.

The drum fish, as its name suggests, makes an extremely loud noise that assists in communication with other creatures. This fish is primarily found in salty seas and oceans, but there are a few species that only live in freshwater rivers and lakes. For both recreational and commercial interests, they are a highly popular fish.

3 Incredible Drum Fish Facts!

1. Drum fish are sometimes known as croakers or drummers because of the sound their swimming bladders create.

2. The drum fish may be found in various aquariums all around the world.

3. Some species, such as catfish, have whiskered barbels that help them sense their surroundings.

Drum Fish Classification and Scientific Name

Sciaenidae is the scientific name for the drum fish, and it comes from the Latin word sciaena, which means “sea fish.” Sciaena is also the name of a genus in the Sciaenidae family.

The Perciformes order of ray-finned fish includes the whole family. It is the world’s biggest order of vertebrates, including perch, sunfish, groupers, and snappers among its members.

Various Drum Fish Species

Depending on who’s counting, the drum fish family has roughly 275 (and maybe as many as 300) species. Here’s a short taste of what they have to offer:

• Red drum: This species is native to the Atlantic Ocean between Massachusetts and the Gulf of Mexico, and is also known as the channel bass. It bears a black mark on the tail, despite being red and white in appearance.

• California corbina: This species, also known as the California kingcroaker or kingfish, lacks the swim bladder that allows it to emit a croaking sound.

• Common Weakfish: It is also known as Squeteague in Native American. It lives in the Atlantic Ocean off the East Coast of the United States. Smooth weakfish, smalltooth weakfish, and smallscale weakfish are other weakfish species that are rated as least concerning.

• The totuava: It is also known as the totoaba, is the world’s largest drum fish species. This endangered species may be found in the Gulf of California, close to Mexico.

• Freshwater Drum: This is the only drum fish species in North America (from Hudson Bay to Guatemala) that spends its whole life in freshwater rivers or lakes.

Drum Fish Appearance

The drum fish is a ray-finned fish with a long, rounded body, a groove or notch between the ray and spine, and two dorsal fins that run along the back. The majority of drum fish have tiny mouths, jaws, and teeth, but a few species have bigger mouths, protruding jaws, and sharp canine teeth.

Although silver is the most common colour, many other species appear in a variety of red, brown, black, and white hues. The existence of a big muscle linked to the swimming bladder is by far the most essential and distinguishing feature of this family.

The fish can substantially magnify sound when it activates this muscle, resulting in the loud croaking or cracking noise for which it is known. This sound is used to attract mates during the mating season, which implies that in certain species, only males have this capacity.

It also provides a secondary duty as a warning or locating call to other species throughout the year. The sound of each species’ “vocalisation” can be used to identify it.

Although this is regarded as the drum fish’s distinguishing trait, certain species, such as the aforementioned California corbina, are unable to do so. Drum fish can be found in a range of sizes, although most are little more than a couple feet long and weigh up to 60 pounds.

The totuava of the Gulf of California, which weighs 225 pounds, is the biggest species. Freshwater fish are often bigger than saltwater fish.

Drum Fish Distribution, Population, and Habitat

Drum fish are found only in tropical and temperate saltwater parts of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. The bays and estuaries along the shore are the best places to be.

A few species live in freshwater lakes and rivers all year, either partially or completely. The number of people in each species varies. Despite its prevalence in commercial fishing, one of the most prevalent species, the red drum, looks to be in good condition.

The majority of species are of little interest to conservationists, although this is not the case for all of them. The totuava, as indicated, is critically endangered.

Drum Fish Predators and Prey

The drum fish is a bottom-feeding fish that feeds on crustaceans, mussels, insects, and other fish as it swims along the sea, river, or lake’s bottom. Some animals have big canine teeth that can help them crush through the stiff shells of crabs and other shelled prey.

Large fish, marine birds, and humans are all predators. Overfishing, poaching, and habitat degradation due to dams and water diversion are all threats to the drum fish.

Drum Fish Reproduction and Lifespan

Many features of drumfish reproduction vary per species, including spawning season and gestation length. In shallower waters, the most typical breeding season is throughout the summer or fall months. To attract a desirable partner, the male employs his distinct vocalisation.

Following copulation, the female might deposit hundreds, if not millions, of eggs all at once. The male then uses his sperm to fertilise the eggs.

Within a few days, the immature larvae emerge from the eggs, measuring just a few millimetres in length, and they progress into mature individuals within a few years. The life expectancy of different animals varies.

Freshwater drums live around six to thirteen years on average, although certain saltwater species can live for more than 50 years in the wild. There have also been reports of people living to extraordinarily old ages.

Drum Fish in Fishing and Cooking

Drum fish are often caught for commercial and recreational uses. These fish can be found in the surf or on the pier by recreational anglers. Commercial fishermen use a net to catch big amounts of fish in more open waters.

It was formerly the world’s 25th most fished fish, according to United Nations data. Drum fish flesh is characterised as having a gentle, delicate, and somewhat sweet flavour. Freshwater animals are captured and consumed significantly less frequently than saltwater fish.

In fact, many fish experts claim that freshwater drum fish have a poor flavour. The delicate flavour pairs nicely with a variety of spices, herbs, and vegetables, and the meat may be roasted, boiled, or sautéed.