The term “drum fish” refers to a large group of marine and estuarine species found worldwide, all belonging to the family Sciaenidae. This family is recognized primarily for the unique ability of its members to produce distinct underwater sounds, which often resemble a drumming or croaking noise. The Sciaenidae family encompasses nearly 300 species, including the commercially and recreationally sought-after Red Drum, Black Drum, and Spotted Seatrout.
The Distinctive Drumming Sound and Classification
The common name for these fish comes directly from the low-frequency, throbbing sounds they generate. This sound production is possible due to a highly specialized mechanism involving the fish’s swim bladder, which acts as a resonating chamber. The swim bladder is a gas-filled sac used primarily for buoyancy control.
Attached to the swim bladder are specialized muscles known as sonic muscles. These muscles are among the fastest-contracting muscles known in the entire vertebrate kingdom. When the fish contract these muscles rapidly, the vibrations are transmitted to the swim bladder, causing it to resonate loudly and produce the characteristic drumming or grunting sound.
The sounds serve several communication purposes, most notably during the reproductive season. Males of many drum species produce a loud drumming chorus to attract females to spawning grounds. This acoustic display is a form of courtship, with females potentially selecting mates based on the quality of the sound. Beyond mating, these sounds are also used for general communication, such as establishing territory or signaling distress when facing a threat.
Identifying Key Drum Species
The Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), often called Redfish or Channel Bass, is easily recognized by its reddish-bronze coloration and the signature black spot, or ocellus, typically found near the base of its tail. This spot is thought to confuse predators by drawing their attack toward the less vulnerable tail instead of the head. Red Drum are found along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States, preferring shallow, inshore habitats like seagrass beds and estuaries when young, and moving to deeper nearshore waters as adults.
The Black Drum (Pogonias cromis) is the largest member of the family, growing significantly larger than the Red Drum, sometimes exceeding 90 pounds. They are generally gray or black and lack the prominent tail spot of the Red Drum, though juveniles may display dark vertical bars. A distinguishing feature of the Black Drum is the presence of several barbels, or fleshy whiskers, under the chin, which they use to forage for food on the seabed. Black Drum inhabit deeper inshore areas near jetties, bridges, and oyster reefs, using their powerful pharyngeal teeth to crush the shells of mollusks and crustaceans.
Spotted Seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus), despite its name, is also a member of the drum family, although it is more commonly referred to as a croaker. This species has a slender, silvery body marked with numerous small black spots on its back, fins, and upper sides. Spotted Seatrout are common in the shallow, grassy areas of bays and estuaries from the Gulf of Mexico up the Atlantic coast. Unlike the Red and Black Drum, which are bottom feeders, the Seatrout is a more predatory fish, feeding mostly on smaller fish and shrimp.
Culinary Profile and Preparation
Drum fish are highly valued for their mild flavor and firm, flaky flesh, making them a popular choice for consumption. The taste is often described as sweet, and the texture is comparable to that of Red Snapper. The eating quality can vary noticeably between species and with the size of the individual fish.
Smaller fish, often called “puppy drum,” across all species, tend to have the finest texture and sweetest flavor. Conversely, very large, older Black Drum can develop a coarser, meatier texture. The raw flesh of Red Drum may sometimes show an emerald green or red tint when very fresh, while Black Drum flesh is simply white, though both cook up to a clean white color.
Drum fish lend themselves well to most cooking applications, including grilling, baking, frying, and sautéing. A common concern is the presence of harmless parasites, often called “spaghetti worms,” frequently found in the flesh of larger drum fish. These white, thread-like worms are the larval stage of a tapeworm that uses the fish as an intermediate host, but they are not infectious to humans. Cooking the fish to an internal temperature of 145°F kills the parasites, making them unnoticeable in the cooked product.