Red drum
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| Sciaenops ocellatus (Linnaeus, 1766) |
The Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), also known as Channel Bass, Redfish, Spottail Bass or simply Reds, is a game fish that is 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.
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[edit] Characteristics
Red Drum usually occur along coastal waters. Three year-old red drum typically weigh six to eight pounds. The largest one on record weighed just over 94 pounds. When they are large they are called Bull reds and most people do not find the large ones good to eat.
Mature Red Drum spawn in near shorelines. Juvenile red drum typically inhabit bays and coastal marshes until they reach maturity between 3 and 6 years of age. They will readily accept any bait but prefer Menhaden, Shrimp, Mud Minnows and crabs. Red Drum are relatives of the Black Drum and both make a croaking sound when in trouble.
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. Scientists believe that the black spot near their tail helps fool predators into attacking the red drum's tail instead of their head, allowing the red drum to escape.
[edit] Life Cycle
Spawning season is mid-August to mid-October. The Red Drum's eggs incubate for 24 hours. A female can lay up to two million eggs a season. The drum live to be 60 years old unless caught.
[edit] Consumption
Before the 1980s the red drum was considered a "junk" fish, and was not particularly popular for consumption. In the early 1980s, the chef Paul Prudhomme made his dish of Cajun-style blackened redfish popular, and the fish was fished nearly to extinction. The fish's numbers have since rebounded due to fish farming.
On March 1, 2009 redfish was the "secret ingredient" on the television program Iron Chef America, with competitors Mourad Lahlou and Cat Cora both preparing several dishes from the fish.
[edit] Relationship to humans
The North Carolina General Assembly of 1971 designated the Red Drum as the official State Salt Water Fish. (Session Laws, 1971, c. 274; G.S. 145-6).[1]
President of the United States George W. Bush in an Executive Order on October 20, 2007 designated the Red Drum as a protected game fish. This 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.[2]
[edit] Management
Red drum is mainly harvested through recreational fishing, and limits apply where they are commercially fished. Management is regulated by multiple organizations, but has proved successful due to increasing populations of the species in recent years. However, some of the growth may be by chance due to a lack of significant information on some population areas of red drum.
[edit] References
- Sciaenops ocellatus (TSN 169290). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved on 24 January 2006.
- Texas Parks and Wildlife
- "Sciaenops ocellatus". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. November 2005 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2005.
[edit] Citations
- ^ Official State Symbols of North Carolina
- ^ "Office of the Press Secretary" ("October 20, 2007"). ["http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/10/20071020-4.html" "Executive Order: Protection of Striped Bass and Red Drum Fish Populations"]. Press release. "http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/10/20071020-4.html". Retrieved on "October 21, 2007".
