Red drum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Red drum |
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The red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) is a popular fish found in the Atlantic Ocean along the eastern coast of the United States and in the Gulf of Mexico. It's also known by other names like redfish or channel bass. This fish is the only type in its group, Sciaenops. It's related to the black drum, and sometimes they even have babies together!
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What Red Drum Look Like
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Red drum fish have a dark red color on their backs. This color fades to white on their bellies. They are shaped to swim fast.
A special mark on the red drum is a black spot near its tail. Most red drum have one spot, but some have many! Scientists think this spot helps the fish. It might trick bigger fish into biting the tail instead of the head, helping the red drum escape.
How Red Drum Find Food
Red drum use their sight and touch to find food. They have a mouth that points downwards. This helps them find crabs, shrimp, and other small fish on the bottom. They also look for changes in light in the water, which might mean food is nearby.
In summer and fall, adult red drum eat crabs, shrimp, and mullet. In spring and winter, they mostly eat other fish like menhaden and pinfish.
The Drumming Sound
Male red drum make a knocking or drumming sound. They do this during spawning season to attract females. They vibrate a part of their body called a swim bladder to make the noise.
Where Red Drum Live
Red drum live along the eastern and southern coasts of the United States. You can find them from Virginia down to Florida and all along the Gulf of Mexico coast. They are a very popular fish for sport fishing in the Gulf of Mexico.
Sometimes, red drum are raised in special farms. This is called aquaculture. Some have even been seen in the Mediterranean Sea after escaping from these farms.
Favorite Places to Live
Young red drum like to live in grassy marsh areas. These are found in bays and estuaries (where rivers meet the sea). Older red drum, especially very large ones, prefer rocky areas. They also like man-made structures like jetties, oil rigs, and bridge posts. They can be found at different depths around these structures.
Life Cycle of the Red Drum
Mature red drum lay their eggs near the shore. This happens from mid-August to mid-October. The eggs hatch in about 24 hours. A female red drum can lay a huge number of eggs, from 200,000 to over three million in one batch!
Young red drum grow quickly. In their first year, they can grow about 0.6 millimeters (a tiny bit) each day. By the time they are about one year old, they can be 27 to 38 centimeters (about 11 to 15 inches) long.
Growing Up and Reproducing
About half of red drum can start having babies by the time they are four years old. At this age, they are usually about 66 to 70 centimeters (about 26 to 28 inches) long. Red drum can live for a very long time, sometimes up to 60 years!
- Adult red drum are ready to reproduce when they are 3 to 5 years old. Males are usually about 28 inches long, and females are about 33 inches long.
- They lay eggs in late summer and fall near the entrances to estuaries.
- Baby red drum use ocean currents to travel into shallow, salty marsh areas. These areas are safe places for them to grow up.
As red drum get longer, they also get much heavier. Scientists use special math to figure out how much a red drum should weigh for its length. This helps them check if the fish are healthy.
Eating Red Drum
Red drum have a mild flavor and are not very oily. Cleaning big red drum can be a bit tricky because their scales are large. Many people use an electric knife to remove the meat from the bones and skin.
Very large red drum (over 15 pounds) can have a tougher texture, almost like chicken. Younger red drum taste very similar to black drum.
Fishing for Red Drum
Red drum are very popular for both sport fishing and, in some places, commercial fishing. In the past, commercial fishermen caught a lot of red drum. But now, many states have rules to protect them.
Protecting Red Drum
Rules like catch limits (how many fish you can keep) and size limits (how big or small a fish must be to keep it) have helped red drum populations grow. In 2007, the U.S. President declared the red drum a "protected game fish." This means it cannot be sold if caught in federal waters. Many states also have similar rules.
Because of these rules, it's harder to buy wild-caught red drum in stores. However, you can still buy red drum that have been raised on farms. These rules have been very successful, allowing more people to enjoy catching red drum for fun.
Red Drum and People
The red drum is an important fish to some states.
- In 1971, the state of North Carolina named the red drum its official state saltwater fish.
- In 2011, the state of Texas also named the red drum its official "State Saltwater Fish."
