Roadless Areas
Home/Species/ Freshwater Drum

Aplodinotus grunniens

Rafinesque, 1819

Freshwater Drum

G5Secure Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100338
Element CodeAFCQH01010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderPerciformes
FamilySciaenidae
GenusAplodinotus
Other Common Names
Malachigan (FR)
Concept Reference
Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott. 1991. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 20. 183 pp.
Taxonomic Comments
Monotypic genus; the only North American freshwater representative of a large family.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-10-07
Change Date1996-09-25
Edition Date2025-10-07
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G. (2011); rev. R. L. Gundy (2025)
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent>2,500,000 square km (greater than 1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences> 300
Rank Reasons
This species has a large range in North America and it is considered ubiquitous in many occupied river basins in the range. No major threats are known at this time.
Range Extent Comments
This species has a wide range across North America and into northern Central America. The range includes the St. Lawrence-Great Lakes, Hudson Bay, and Mississippi River basins from Quebec to northern Manitoba and southern Saskatchewan, and south to the Gulf Coast through eastern México to the Rio Usumacinta system, Guatemala (Page and Burr 2011).
Occurrences Comments
This species is represented by a large number of occurrences (subpopulations (see map in Lee et al. 1980).
Threat Impact Comments
No major threats are known.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

This fish often occurs in large silty lakes and medium to large rivers, usually in open water over mud bottom, but it occurs in a wide variety of habitats (Lee et al. 1980, Page and Burr 2011). It spawns pelagically in open water, usually far from shore; eggs float at the surface (Becker 1983).

Ecology

Schooling species.

Reproduction

Spawns in spring or summer at water temperatures of 19-22 C; eggs hatch in 1-2 days; males generally sexually mature in 2-4 years, females in 4-6 years (Becker 1983).
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5
ProvinceRankNative
OntarioS5Yes
QuebecS4Yes
ManitobaS5Yes
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
LouisianaS5Yes
PennsylvaniaS5Yes
AlabamaS5Yes
West VirginiaS5Yes
VirginiaS2Yes
North DakotaSNRYes
MichiganS4Yes
TexasS5Yes
IowaS5Yes
KentuckyS4Yes
TennesseeS5Yes
IndianaS5Yes
KansasS5Yes
MississippiS5Yes
NebraskaS5Yes
MontanaS4Yes
WisconsinS5Yes
North CarolinaS1Yes
GeorgiaS3Yes
OklahomaSNRYes
MinnesotaSNRYes
WyomingSNANo
OhioS4Yes
ArkansasS4Yes
IllinoisS5Yes
VermontS4Yes
New MexicoSXYes
New YorkS4Yes
South DakotaS5Yes
MissouriSNRYes
ColoradoSNANo
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
No known threats———

—

Roadless Areas (2)
Idaho (1)
AreaForestAcres
Italian PeakCaribou-Targhee National Forest141,158
North Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainPisgah National Forest11,085
References (45)
  1. Becker, G. C. 1983. Fishes of Wisconsin. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison. 1,052 pp.
  2. Boschung, H. T., and R. L. Mayden. 2004. Fishes of Alabama. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 960 pp.
  3. Buchanan, Thomas M. (Department of Biology. Westark College AR). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, TNC. March 2000.
  4. Burr, B. M., and M. L. Warren, Jr. 1986a. Distributional atlas of Kentucky fishes. Kentucky Nature Preserves Commission, Scientific and Technical Series No. 4, Frankfort, Kentucky. 398 pp.
  5. Cooper, E. L. 1983. Fishes of Pennsylvania and the northeastern United States. Pennsylvania State University Press, University Park. 243 pp.
  6. Cox, Kenneth M. (District Fisheries Biologist, VT Department of Fish and Wildlife). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. March 2000.
  7. Cross, F. B., and J. T. Collins. 1995. Fishes in Kansas. Second Edition, revised. University of Kansas Museum of Natural History. xvii + 315 pp.
  8. Daiber, F. C. 1952. The food and feeding relationships of freshwater drum, <i>Apodinotus grunniens</i> (Rafinesque), in western Lake Erie. Ohio Journal of Science 52(1):35-46.
  9. Douglas, N. H. 1974. Freshwater fishes of Louisiana. Claitor's Publishing Division, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 443 pp.
  10. Edsall, T.A. 1967. Biology of the freshwater drum in western Lake Erie. Ohio Journal of Science 67(6):321-340.
  11. Etnier, D. A., and W. C. Starnes. 1993. The fishes of Tennessee. University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, Tennessee. xiv + 681 pp.
  12. Fago, D. 2000. Relative abundance and distribution of fishes in Wisconsin. Fish Distribution Database to year 2000. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
  13. Glowa, S. E., D. A. Watkinson, E. C. Enders, G. M. Klein, and L. F. G. Gutowsky. 2024. Exploring the extensive movements and home range of one of North America’s most mobile fish: the freshwater drum (<i>Aplodinotus grunniens</i>). Environmental Biology of Fishes 1077: 1709-1731. doi: 10.1007/s10641-024-01635-x
  14. Hargrave, Chad (Museum of Natural History, University of Oklahoma). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps for southwest Oklahoma. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. March 2000.
  15. Harlan, J. R., E. B. Speaker, and J. Mayhew. 1987. Iowa fish and fishing. Iowa Conservation Commission, Des Moines, Iowa. 323 pp.
  16. Holton, G. D., and H. E. Johnson. 1996. A field guide to Montana fishes. 2nd edition. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Montana State Parks and wildlife Interpretive Association, Helena, Montana. 104 pp.
  17. Hrabik, Robert A. (Missouri Department of Conservation). 1997. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Ruth Mathews, TNC. May 1997.
  18. Jenkins, R. E., and N. M. Burkhead. 1994. Freshwater fishes of Virginia. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland. xxiii + 1079 pp.
  19. Lang, Nicholas (Illinois Natural History Survey). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. March 2000.
  20. Lee, D. S., C. R. Gilbert, C. H. Hocutt, R. E. Jenkins, D. E. McAllister, and J. R. Stauffer, Jr. 1980. Atlas of North American freshwater fishes. North Carolina State Museum of Natural History, Raleigh, North Carolina. i-x + 854 pp.
  21. Matthews, William J. (Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, University of Oklahoma). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. June 2000.
  22. Menhinick, E. F. 1991. The freshwater fishes of North Carolina. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. 227 pp.
  23. Mettee, M. F., P. E. O'Neil, and J. M. Pierson. 1996. Fishes of Alabama and the Mobile Basin. Oxmoor House, Birmingham, Alabama. 820 pp.
  24. Nelson, J. S. 1984. Fishes of the world. Second edition. John Wiley & Sons, New York. xv + 523 pp.
  25. Nelson, J. S., E. J. Crossman, H. Espinosa-Perez, L. T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, R. N. Lea, and J. D. Williams. 2004. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 29, Bethesda, Maryland. 386 pp.
  26. Owen, J. B., D. S. Elsen and G. W. Russell. 1981. Distribution of fishes in North and South Dakota basins affected by the Garrison Diversion Unit. University of North Dakota Press, Grand Forks, North Dakota. 211 pp.
  27. Page, L. M., and B. M. Burr. 1991. A field guide to freshwater fishes: North America north of Mexico. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. 432 pp.
  28. Page, L. M., and B. M. Burr. 2011. Peterson field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. Second edition. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston. xix + 663 pp.
  29. Page, L. M., H. Espinosa-Pérez, L. T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, R. N. Lea, N. E. Mandrak, R. L. Mayden, and J. S. Nelson. 2013. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Seventh edition. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 34, Bethesda, Maryland.
  30. Page, L. M., K. E. Bemis, T. E. Dowling, H.S. Espinosa-Pérez, L.T. Findley, C. R. Gilbert, K. E. Hartel, R. N. Lea, N. E. Mandrak, M. A. Neigbors, J. J. Schmitter-Soto, and H. J. Walker, Jr. 2023. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Eighth edition. American Fisheries Society (AFS), Special Publication 37, Bethesda, Maryland, 439 pp.
  31. Pflieger, W. L. 1975. The fishes of Missouri. Missouri Department of Conservation. Columbia, Missouri. viii + 343 pp.
  32. Phelps, A., C. B. Renaud, and F. Chapleau. 2000. First record of a freshwater drum, <i>Aplodinotus grunniens</i>, in the Rideau River, Ottawa, Ontario. Canadian Field-Naturalist 114(1):121-125.
  33. Priegel, G. R. 1967c. The freshwater drum-its life history, ecology, and management. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Publication 236. 15 pp.
  34. Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea, and W.B. Scott. 1991. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada. American Fisheries Society, Special Publication 20. 183 pp.
  35. Robison, H. W. and T. M. Buchanan. 1988. Fishes of Arkansas. The University of Arkansas Press, Fayetteville, Arkansas. 536 pp.
  36. Ross, S. T., and W. M. Brenneman. 1991. Distribution of freshwater fishes in Mississippi. Freshwater Fisheries Report No. 108. D-J Project Completion Report F-69. Mississippi Department of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries and Parks. Jackson, Mississippi. 548 pp.
  37. Ross, Stephen T. (University of Southern Mississippi, Department of Biological Sciences). 2001. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI.
  38. Scott, W. B., and E. J. Crossman. 1973. Freshwater fishes of Canada. Fisheries Research Board of Canada, Bulletin 184. 966 pp.
  39. Skelton, Christopher E. (Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Georgia Natural Heritage Program). 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, TNC. March 2000.
  40. Smith, C. L. 1983. Fishes of New York (maps and printout of a draft section on scarce fishes of New York). Unpublished draft.
  41. Smith, C. L. 1985. The inland fishes of New York State. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Albany, New York, xi + 522 pp.
  42. Smith, P. W. 1979. The fishes of Illinois. University of Illinois Press, Urbana. 314 pp.
  43. Stauffer, J. R., Jr., J. M. Boltz, and L. R. White. 1995. The fishes of West Virginia. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 146:1-389.
  44. Trautman, M. B. 1981. The fishes of Ohio. Second edition. Ohio State University Press, Columbus, Ohio. 782 pp.
  45. Whittier, Thomas R. 2000. Review and annotation of fish watershed distribution maps. Review requested by Anthony E. Zammit, ABI. March 2000.