Red drum

Sciaenops ocellatus

The Red drummer (English: Red Drum, Spanish: corvina roja ), Sciaenops ocellatus L., of the North American east coast is similar to the shape of the southern ordinary Umber ( Umbrina cirrosa ), but is related in greater detail with the sea raven ( Sciaena umbra ). The Red drummer is the only species of the genus Sciaenops.

Features

The name Red drummer refers to the beautiful brown-red color of this Sciaeniden that may be but very often fades to a brown -tinged silver. Most also the black eye spot (often even brighter margins ) on the dorsal side of the tail clearly visible, sometimes more stains on the front. The back may be indistinct bright banded, especially in younger animals. The fins are most likely brown (fins formula: D1 X D2 I/28-31 ). The fish may be 50 years old over 1.5 m long, 45 kg in weight and easily. It is relatively großschuppig and without barbels. He has a strong crushing pharyngeal teeth with hemispherical teeth. The Mundrandbezahnung is, however, weak.

Habitat

He lives in shallow coastal areas, even in the surf zone (about to groynes ), over fine sands and seagrass beds and feeds on benthic ( crabs) ( like shrimp ) and nektischen crustaceans, molluscs, worms ( he green delt like ) and fish ( eg Brevoortia ). Its range extends from Massachusetts south to Florida, he is in the eastern Gulf frequently; less frequently but also on the coasts of Texas, on the Atlantic coast of Mexico and the Antilles to the northern coast of Brazil.

Furthermore, he was based in remote areas, eg Israel, Réunion and Singapore, on the Pacific coast of Central America, even in the Black Sea - because he ( for surf anglers ) is a popular, appealing and tasty "sport fish ". Of course, these fish are artificially propagated in many places (eg in Martinique ) and exposed - with all the dubious " side effects " of this procedure. For commercial (network - or bottom-fishing ) fishing he is, however, of less importance.

However, as with so many Umberfischen especially among the young fish tendencies to accumulate in brackish bays, but also sometimes older fish swimming in the winter in rivers quite far upstream. Is spawned (as in Florida) from August to November with loud drums ( of ♂ ) from the age of 3 with about 50-60 cm in length - that is, this fish is fast growing. The larvae hatch after about 24 hours.