Black drum

The black drum was first formally described as Labrus cromis by Carl Linnaeus in 1766 with one of its type localities given as Carolina. In 1801, the Bernard Germain de Lacépède described a new species, Pogonias fasciatus, without giving a type locality, but it is thought to be Charleston, South Carolina, This species was thought to have an antitropical distribution, but in 2019, the South American population was recognized as a valid species Pogonias courbina, originally described as Pogonathus courbina by Lacépède in 1803. The genus Pogonias has been placed in the subfamily Sciaeninae by some workers, but the 5th edition of Fishes of the World does not recognise subfamilies within the Sciaenidae, which it places in the order Acanthuriformes. ==Habits, distribution, and characteristics==

The black drum is usually found in or near brackish waters. Larger, older fish are more commonly found in the saltier areas of an estuary (closer to the ocean) near oyster beds or other plentiful food sources. Juvenile fish have four or five bold, vertical, black bars on a light background and can be mistaken for sheepshead at first glance, but are distinguished on closer inspection because sheepshead have teeth and black drum have chin barbels. These stripes usually fade to dull gray as the fish grow from in length. Juvenile fish are more commonly found in less salty areas and relate more strongly to structure and cover. In the western Atlantic, black drum are found from Nova Scotia to Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, the Antilles (uncommon), and the southern Caribbean coast. They are common between the Delaware Bay and Florida coasts, and most abundant along the Texas coast. After reaching maturity by the end of their second year, black drum spawn in and around estuarine waters. In Texas, most spawning takes place in February and March. ==Feeding==

Black drum larvae eat mostly zooplankton, and young black drum (less than 20 cm long) eat worms and small fish. Black drum are mostly bottom feeders, with adults eating mostly mollusks and crabs. In shallow water, they have been reported to feed with their heads down so that their tails show above the water surface. Their sensitive chin barbels help locate food and strong pharyngeal teeth crush the shells of these preferred foods. In captivity, large drum reportedly were able to eat more than two commercial-sized oysters per kilogram of body weight each day. A group of black drum can do great damage to an oyster bed in a single day. ==Growth==

Annual growth rate for ages 1–3 is 100–150 mm/year and then slows to 10–50 mm/year for ages 10–20. The weight vs. length graph shows how the typical weight of black drum increases with length; small differences during different seasons have been measured as shown. This kind of information can be used to estimate weight based on length. More scientifically, it can be used to determine whether a given sample of black drum is above or below expected weight, which may be related to a number of environmental conditions. ==Fishing==

Black drum are bottom feeders, so they are most commonly caught with bait either on the bottom or suspended within a few feet of the bottom. Bottom-fishing methods are used both in surf and inshore fishing. Shrimp is a typical bait that works well; squid can also be used and is less subject to bait stealing by hardhead catfish and Atlantic croakers, which often frequent the same waters. Sometimes, older, larger fish are more readily caught on a half or a quarter of a blue crab with the top shell removed and cut or broken to fit on a 4/0 to 9/0 hook. This type of fishing is often combined with chumming, a baiting practice that involves scattering bits of fish parts and blood into the water as an attractant. Black drum also are caught on spoons and jigs. One researcher reported good success with trotline fishing techniques, which he used to catch a large sample of black drum for tagging and scientific study. Some states, such as Texas (as of summer 2017), allow spearfishing for black drum, which often frequent jetties and other near-shore structures. ==As food==

Black drum are edible, with a moderate flavor and are not oily. Some restaurants in the Southern US serve smaller black drum. Big drum can be challenging to clean; removing the large scales is a challenge. Many fishermen prefer to fillet with an electric knife, first removing the fillet from along the backbone, and then using the electric knife to cut the fillet from the skin and scales. Fish over can become tough and have a consistency comparable with chicken, rather than the flaky texture of many species of fish. Younger fish are often indistinguishable in flavor from red drum. ==References==