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Black drum
(also known as Vaca, Quindunde,
Piraúna, Perombeba, Miraguaia, Miragaia, Graúna, and
Corvina-preta in Brasil; Corvina Negra, Banded drum,
Gray drum, Sea drum, and Big drum in Cuba; Oyster
cracker, Oyster drum, Sea drum, and Drummer in the UK;
Grand tambour in France; Scienidi in Italy, and
Trumfisk in Sweden)
Pogonias
cromis
(Linnaeus, 1766)
(previously identified as
Labrus cromis (Linnaeus, 1766), Pogonathus
courbina (Lacepède, 1803), Pogonias fasciatus
(Lacepède, 1801), and Sciaena barbata (Larrañaga,
1923) |
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Black drum
are a member of the Sciaenidae family. Known as drums or
croakers, sciaenids use special muscles attached to the wall of
the swim bladder (a gas filled organ used primarily for
buoyancy control and important for hearing in some
fishes). To produce their distinctive sounds, which are thought to be associated with
courtship and spawning behavior, sciaenids rapidly flex
these sonic muscles against
the swim bladder. Sciaenids are primarily bottom associated,
carnivorous fishes distributed worldwide in tropical and
temperate inshore waters (see map below). The majority
inhabit open sand and mud bottoms and some are found
only in brackish waters. Though the exact number of
species is unknown, there are probably up to 200
species. Along the western Atlantic there are 56 species
in 21 genera. Thirteen species in nine genera are
present in the Chesapeake Bay region. Of these, CQFE
studies six species as part of its stock assessment for
the Virginia Marine Resource Commission (see reports at
left). |
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At
about 5 mm, 3-4 preopercular spines present; soft
dorsal, anal and caudal fins generally differentiated.
At about 8 mm,
full complement of rays present. Pigmentation: 2
prominent chromatophores lie ventrally, behind vent.
Dark chromatophores appear dorsally and on sides and
begin to form the 6 black vertical bars that remain
until the adult size is reached.
When at 15 mm,
the young drum is the adult shape and the 6 black bars
are very pronounced.
Information from
FishBase |
All images from Johnson,
G. D., 1978, Development of fishes of the
Mid-Atlantic Bight. An atlas of egg, larval and juvenile
stages. Vol. IV. Carangidae through Ephippidae
Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of the
Interior |
