Drum is a fish that may make a drumming sound in the water. There are more than 200 species (kinds) of drums. Some drums are also called croakers. Drums may repeatedly tighten certain muscles on their swim bladder in the abdomen. When the muscles tighten, they produce vibrations that sound like drumming. Not all drum species can make these sounds. Many kinds of drums live in warm, shallow ocean water near the shores of most continents. Some spend part of their early life in freshwater rivers or in bays where fresh and salt water are mixed. A few species live entirely in fresh water.
Drums range in size from species that weigh about 1 ounce (28 grams) to those that weigh more than 100 pounds (45 kilograms). The totuava, which lives in the Gulf of California, is the heaviest. This rare fish weighs as much as 225 pounds (102 kilograms) and measures up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) long. Most drums have a scaly head; a blunt, rounded nose; and two upper fins separated by a notch.
Many drums, including the red drum and the white croaker, have teeth only in the rear of their mouth. These flat, grinding teeth enable the drums to eat clams, crabs, shrimp, and other shellfish that they find along the ocean floor. Other drums, including the spotted seatrout and the weakfish, have sharp front teeth that allow them to feed on such free-swimming animals as shrimp, squid, and small fish (see Weakfish).
Commercial fishing crews in the United States use nets to catch several kinds of drums, including the Atlantic croaker, the black drum, and the red drum. The drum’s firm, white flesh makes it a popular seafood. Many drums are becoming rare due to overfishing.
Two drums of the tropical Atlantic, the jackknife-fish and the high-hat, are favorites of aquarium owners. These small fish have an extremely high fin on their back, and interesting black-and-white markings.
