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EXPLORE > ANIMALS > FISH
Sciaenops ocellatus
The red drum is a popular sport fish that is sometimes known as channel bass, redfish, spottail bass or simply reds. Their bodies are generally a silver-white with red shading along the back. They have characteristic black "eye spots" at the base of the tail.
Although red drums can grow to considerable sizes (the largest ever recorded was 94 pounds or 42.6 kg), before they reach maturity they rely on the tangled roots of the mangrove swamps for protection. As human development continues to encroach on these swamps, red drums and many other species have continued to struggle.
This species became a popular sport fish in the 1980s and over-harvesting has also contributed to its population decline.
Range and Habitat
The red drum is native to the southern Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. They will occupy mangrove swamps along the coastline of Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, and Virginia.
Conservation Status
The populations of the fish were once plentiful along the Gulf of Mexico, but habitat destruction and over-harvesting have caused their numbers to dwindle. Some states, like Florida, are now actively raising red drums in captivity to help repopulate their numbers in the wild.
Sciaenops ocellatus
The red drum is a popular sport fish that is sometimes known as channel bass, redfish, spottail bass or simply reds. Their bodies are generally a silver-white with red shading along the back. They have characteristic black "eye spots" at the base of the tail.
Although red drums can grow to considerable sizes (the largest ever recorded was 94 pounds or 42.6 kg), before they reach maturity they rely on the tangled roots of the mangrove swamps for protection. As human development continues to encroach on these swamps, red drums and many other species have continued to struggle.
This species became a popular sport fish in the 1980s and over-harvesting has also contributed to its population decline.
Range and Habitat
The red drum is native to the southern Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. They will occupy mangrove swamps along the coastline of Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, and Virginia.
Conservation Status
The populations of the fish were once plentiful along the Gulf of Mexico, but habitat destruction and over-harvesting have caused their numbers to dwindle. Some states, like Florida, are now actively raising red drums in captivity to help repopulate their numbers in the wild.
