In an analysis of stomach contents of Red Drum in Galveston Bay, Texas, Scharf and Schlicht (2000) found significant seasonal patterns in diet. The diet was dominated by White Shrimp (Litopenaeus setiferus) during fall and Gulf Menhaden (Brevoortia patronus) during spring. Blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) was an important component of Red Drum diets during both seasons. In the fall, White Shrimp were present in between about a quarter and two thirds of 598 stomachs examined and accounted for between a third and two thirds of the diet. The spring diet of Red Drum was dominated by fishes, which represented over 97% of the diet by number and over 80% by weight. Of these fishes, Gulf Menhaden accounted for 95% of the diet by number and nearly 70% of the diet by weight (the authors note, however, that these totals are somewhat skewed by the fact that a few individual Red Drum stomachs contained as many as 100 to 200 Gulf Menhaden: frequency of occurrence in Red Drum stomachs was only 35%).
The Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) is an important game fish, popular with surfcasters, that is found from Massachusetts (U.S.A.) to northern Mexico. Red Drum travel in schools during their spring and fall migrations. They are known as Redfish in Florida and along the Gulf Coast and as Channel Bass in many other regions. Large specimens (which are usually well under 1.5 meters) are knowsn as "bullreds", while smaller ones are known as "ratreds". (Boschung et al. 1983; Robins and Ray 1986)
The Red Drum is found from Massachusetts (U.S.A.) to northern Mexico (Robins and Ray 1986).
The Red Drum is found along the coast from New York to Florida (U.S.A.), west to Laguna Madre, Mexico. It is most abundant from Florida to Texas. (Boschung et al. 1983)
PCR primers have been developed for Red Drum for a large number of polymorphic microsatellite loci, which may be useful for analysis of stock structure, monitoring and assessment of Red Drum stock enhancement, parentage analysis as employed in aquaculture, and the generation of a genetic map for Red Drum (Karlsson et al. 2008 and references therein).
The Red Drum occurs from the surf zone to offshore waters, depending on the season and an individual's age, and may sometimes enter fresh water (Boschung et al. 1983).
Red Drum may live around 25 to 35 years (Murphy and Taylor 1990).
The Red Drum has an elongate, bronze-colored body that is darker above. Dark centers of the scales form obscure stripes. There is a conspicuous black spot (or spots) on the caudal peduncle. The caudal (tail) fin is rounded in young individuals, but squared off in adults. (Robins and Ray 1986) The 3rd and 4th dorsal spines are the longest. In contrast to some other drums, no chin barbels are present. (Boschung et al. 1983)
In a study of Red Drum in Florida, Murphy and Taylor (1990) found that males matured at smaller sizes than females. Some Gulf coast males were sexually mature after they reached 400 mm, and some on the Atlantic coast were mature after they reached 350 mm (Interpolated lengths at 50% maturity were 529 mm and 511 mm, respectively). Some Gulf coast females were sexually mature after they reached 600 mm, and some on the Atlantic coast were mature after they reached 550 mm (interpolated lengths at 50% maturity were 825 and 900 mm, respectively). The authors note that based on previous studies in Mississippi and Texas, there is geographic variation in the size and age at which Red Drum mature (Murphy and Taylor 1990 and references therein). Spawning peaked on both coasts of Florida from about September through October. According to Murphy and Taylor, Red Drum apparently spawn not only in nearshore areas close to channels and passes, but also over the nearshore continental shelf and in estuaries.
Wilson and Nieland (1994) studied the reproductive biology of Red Drum in the northern Gulf of Mexico. They inferred an 8 to 9 week spawning season extending from mid-August to early October. Both sexes achieved >50% maturity at age 4; however, at 50% maturity males were somewhat smaller than females (males 660 to 670 mm versus females 690 to 700 mm, males 3.4 to 3.5 kg vs. females 4.0 to 4.1 kg).
In a study of Red Drum taken off North Carolina (Ross et al. 1995), maximum observed age and size were 56 years and 1,250 mm fork length (FL) for males and 52 years and 1,346 mm FL for females (fork length is the length from the most forward part of the jaw to the middle of the tail between the lobes). Fifty percent maturity was attained among males by age 2 at 621 to 640 mm FL and among females by age 3 at 801 to 820 mm FL. Spawning occurred from August through early October in estuarine waters of Pamlico Sound and nearshore ocean waters close to barrier island inlets. Ross et al. report that the relative abundance of 20 to 55-year-old Red Drums has declined 90% since 1968-1972.
The Red Drum may reach about 1.5 meters in length and 42 kg (Boschung et al. 1983; Robins and Ray 1986).
The red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), also known as redfish, channel bass, puppy drum, spottail bass, or simply red, is a game fish found in the Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts to Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico from Florida to northern Mexico.[2] It is the only species in the genus Sciaenops.
The red drum is related to the black drum (Pogonias cromis), and the two species are often found near to each other; they can interbreed and form a robust hybrid, and younger fish are often indistinguishable in flavor.[3]
Red drum are a dark red color on the back, which fades into white on the belly. The red drum has a characteristic eyespot near the tail and is somewhat streamlined. Three-year-old red drum typically weigh 6-8 lb. The largest red drum on record weighed just over 94 lb and was caught in 1984 on Hatteras Island.[4][5] Male red drum make a knocking or drumming sound during spawning by vibrating their swim bladders.[6]
The most distinguishing mark on the red drum is one large black spot on the upper part of the tail base. Having multiple spots is not uncommon for this fish, but having no spots is extremely rare. As the fish with multiple spots grow older, they seem to lose their excess spots. Scientists believe that the black spot near their tail helps fool predators into attacking the red drum's tail instead of its head, allowing the red drum to escape.[7] The red drum uses its senses of sight and touch, and its downturned mouth, to locate forage on the bottom through vacuuming or biting. On the top and middle of the water column, it uses changes in the light that might look like food. In the summer and fall, adult red drum feed on crabs, shrimp, and mullet; in the spring and winter, adults primarily feed on menhaden, mullet, pinfish, sea robin, lizardfish, spot, Atlantic croaker, and mudminnows.
Red drum naturally occur along the eastern and southern Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts of Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia. They are a highly prized game fish in the Gulf of Mexico. Aquaculture activities involving them occur around the world.[8] Several individuals have been recently reported from the Mediterranean Sea off Israel and Sicily, all likely escapees from aquaculture farms.[9]
Immature red drum prefer grass marsh areas of bays and estuaries when available. Both younger mature red drum (3-6 years of age) and bull red drum prefer rocky outcroppings including jetties and manmade structures, such as oil rigs and bridge posts. Around this type of structure, they are found throughout the water column.
Mature red drum spawn in near shorelines from mid-August to mid-October.[10] The red drum's eggs incubate for 24 hours. A female lays about 1.5 million (with a range of 200,000 up to more than three million) eggs per batch. Scharf (2000) reported that in the first year, young red drum in Texas estuaries grew about 0.6 mm per day, though the rates varied with location and year and were higher in more southerly estuaries.[11] After the first year, they may be 271 – 383 mm long. About half of red drum are able to reproduce by age 4 years, when they are 660-700 mm long and 3.4 – 4 kg in weight. Red drum can live to be 60 years old.
As red drum grow longer, they increase in weight exponentially. The relationship between length (L) and weight (W) for nearly all species of fish can be expressed by an equation of the form:
Invariably, b is close to 3.0 for all species, and a varies between species. Jenkins (2004)[13] reported slightly different weight-length relationships for red drum caught in the spring and the fall off the western Gulf Coast of Louisiana:
where weight is in grams and length is total length measured in millimeters. For example, these relationships predict that a 600-mm red drum (just under 2 ft long) would weigh about 2300 g (just over 5 lb). These relationships can be used more specifically to determine how healthy a sample of red drum is by comparing their actual weights to weights predicted by these relationships for the same length.
Red drum have a moderate flavor and are not oily. Big drum can be tricky to clean; removing the large scales can be challenging. Many fishers prefer to fillet with an electric knife, first removing the fillet from along the backbone, and then using the electric knife to cut the fillet from the skin and scales. Fish over 15 lb can become tough and have a consistency comparable with chicken, rather than the flaky texture of many species of fish. Younger fish are often indistinguishable in flavor from black drum.[14]
From 1980 through 1988, commercial fishermen took an average of 28% of the redfish, while sport fishermen harvested 72%. Catch limits and size restrictions have increased the average weight of redfish caught in Louisiana coastal waters.[15] Restrictions on both sport and commercial fishermen allowed the species to rebuild. States actively vary the recreational catch limits and minimum and maximum lengths to help maintain sustainable red drum populations. Executive Order 13449 of October 20, 2007, issued by U.S. President George W. Bush, designated the red drum as a protected game fish. The order prohibits sale of red drum caught in federal waters and encourages states to consider designating red drum as a protected game fish within state waters.[16] While they may no longer be commercially harvested in U.S. federal waters or in most state waters, they are readily caught and still enjoyed as table fare by many. In addition, farm-raised redfish are still available as a commercial product [17] Commercial netting disappeared after coastal states such as Florida declared red drum prohibited for sale. Recreational size and bag limits have been highly effective, allowing daily limits to be increased in recent years.
The North Carolina General Assembly of 1971 designated the red drum the official state saltwater fish. (Session Laws, 1961, c. 274; G.S. 145-6).[18] The Texas Legislature designated the red drum as the official "State Saltwater Fish of Texas" in 2011.[19]
The red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), also known as redfish, channel bass, puppy drum, spottail bass, or simply red, is a game fish found in the Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts to Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico from Florida to northern Mexico. It is the only species in the genus Sciaenops.
The red drum is related to the black drum (Pogonias cromis), and the two species are often found near to each other; they can interbreed and form a robust hybrid, and younger fish are often indistinguishable in flavor.
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