Canary drum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Canary drum |
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The Canary drum (scientific name: Umbrina canariensis) is a type of fish that lives in warm ocean waters. It belongs to the Sciaenidae family, which are often called drums or croakers because of the sounds they make. You can find this fish in the western part of the Mediterranean Sea, the eastern Atlantic Ocean, and the western Indian Ocean. People also call it the tesselfish, baardman, checker drum, or bellman.
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What Does It Look Like?
The Canary drum has a short, flat body. It has a small mouth that points down, and a short, stiff whisker-like barbel on its chin. Its tail fin can be straight or slightly S-shaped.
Most of its scales are rough (called ctenoid scales). But the scales on its nose and around its eyes are smooth (called cycloid scales).
Its color can be grey-silver to dark. It has dark lines running along its back and sides. These lines sometimes go onto its head, but they fade as the fish gets older. The ends of its fins are dark grey to black. The edges of its gill covers are dark brown.
Canary drums are usually about 40 cm (about 16 inches) long. But some can grow up to 63 cm (about 25 inches). The longest ever found was 80 cm (about 31 inches) long!
Where Does It Live?
The Canary drum lives in the western part of the Mediterranean Sea, as far east as the Sicilian Channel. It's also found in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean, near the Canary Islands. You can see it along the coast of West Africa from Gibraltar to central Namibia.
It's not common in northern Namibia. It's also not found off southern Namibia or the west coast of South Africa. This is because of the very cold water there. In the western Indian Ocean, you can find it from False Bay in Western Cape all the way to Mozambique. Some have even been reported near Pakistan.
Where Does It Hang Out?
Canary drums live in waters over the continental shelf and upper slope. This means they are found in depths from about 50 meters (164 feet) to 300 meters (984 feet). They prefer areas with mud and sand on the seafloor.
Younger fish are usually found closer to the shore. Adults can be found near the shore in the surf zone. They also live in deeper waters, sometimes more than 400 meters (1,300 feet) from the shore. You might also find them over rocky bottoms and in reefs below the low water mark.
What Does It Eat and Do?
The Canary drum eats small shrimp, worms, and other small creatures that live on the seafloor.
In Europe, these fish lay their eggs from late spring to early autumn. The eggs are clear and float in the water. The parents do not guard them.
Fishing for Canary Drums
People catch Canary drums using different fishing methods. These include bottom trawls (nets dragged along the seafloor), fixed bottom nets, and fishing lines.
In some places, like Angola, a lot of these fish are caught. For example, in 2001, about 9,000 tons of croakers, including Canary drums, were reported. The fish are often sold fresh or dried and salted.
In South Africa, the Canary drum is not considered a very important fish for fishing. It's often caught by accident when people are fishing for other types of fish, like sole and hake. This is because it doesn't sell for a lot of money. Because of this, catches are not always reported. Studies show that the Canary drum population is not being overfished in the areas where it is most common.
