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Home/Species/ Red Drum

Sciaenops ocellatus

(Linnaeus, 1766)

Red Drum

G5Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.101236
Element CodeAFCQH06010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderPerciformes
FamilySciaenidae
GenusSciaenops
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.
Conservation Status
Review Date1996-09-25
Change Date1996-09-25
Range Extent Comments
Common from Mexico through Florida to Chesapeake Bay with occasional strays to Massachusetts.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Coastal and estuarine waters; most common over sandy bottoms and often captured in surf zone. Juveniles use estuaries as nursery areas for 6-8 months. May enter fresh water (e.g., St. Johns River, Florida). Spawns in coastal waters near passes, inlets, and bays (Manooch 1984).

Reproduction

Spawns September-February; eggs hatch in 19-20 hours at 75 F; sexually mature in 3 years (Manooch 1984).
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
South CarolinaS3Yes
LouisianaS4Yes
MississippiS5Yes
AlabamaS4Yes
New JerseySNRYes
New MexicoSNANo
DelawareSNRYes
GeorgiaS5Yes
TexasS4Yes
Roadless Areas (1)
North Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Catfish Lake NorthCroatan National Forest11,299
References (8)
  1. Arnold, C. R., et al., eds. 1988. Red drum aquaculture, proceedings of a symposium on the culture of red drum and other warm water fishes. Contrib. in Marine Sci., Suppl. to Vol. 30, Marine Sci. Inst., Univ. Texas at Austin, Port Aransas, Texas. 197 pp.
  2. 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.
  3. Manooch, C. S., III. 1984. Fisherman's guide. Fishes of the southeastern United States. North Carolina State Museum of Natural History, Raleigh. 362 pp.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. Robins, C. R., and G. C. Ray. 1986. A Field Guide to Atlantic Coast Fishes of North America. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Massachusetts. 354 pp.
  8. 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.