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Red drum

Sciaenops ocellatus

Information and species illustrations courtesy of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Species Information
Size Maximum 160 cm; common to 100 cm.
Diagnostic characters
Habitat, biology, and fisheries Found over sand and sandy mud bottoms in coastal waters, young often enter estuaries. Abundant in surf zone south of Cape Hatteras and Texas coast; apparently undergoing seasonal migrations. Feeds mainly on crustaceans, molluscs, and fishes. Caught mainly with haul seines, pound nets, and gill nets; also in large quantities by anglers. Aquaculture of the species has been well established. Marketed mostly fresh, a highly esteemed food fish and popular gourmet dish (blackened red drum in New Orleans).
Distribution Atlantic coast from Long Island to Florida, Gulf of Mexico from west coast of Florida to at least Laguna Madre, Mexico.
Citations Carpenter, K.E. (ed) The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Volume 1: Introduction, molluscs, crustaceans, hagfishes, sharks, batoid fishes, and chimaeras. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes and American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists Special Publication No. 5. Rome, FAO. 2002. pp. 1-600. Carpenter, K.E. (ed) The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Volume 2: Bony fishes part 1 (Acipenseridae to Grammatidae). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes and American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists Special Publication No. 5. Rome, FAO. 2002. pp. 601-1374. Carpenter, K.E. (ed) The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Volume 3: Bony fishes part 2 (Opistognathidae to Molidae), sea turtles and marine mammals. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes and American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists Special Publication No. 5. Rome, FAO. 2002. pp. 1375-2127.