Black Drum
Latin Name: Pogonias cromis
Species: Fish
Conservation Status: Not Evaluated
Black drum are silver-gray to dark gray with blackish fins and a highly arched head. Young black drum have 4-5 vertical bars that fade with age. Their body scales are large and comb-like. Black drum have 10-13 pairs of barbels in multiple rows on their lower jaw. These barbels are used to sense food hidden along the bottom. As part of the Sciaenidae family, they are named “drums” because of a sonic muscle structure found on their swim bladder, which produces loud drumming sounds when vibrated. They average 14 inches and 2.2 pounds, with the South Carolina record being 89 pounds.
Range & Habitat (map)
Black drum are found of the Atlantic coast from New York to the Gulf of Mexico. In South Carolina, black drum are found in nearshore or coastal waters from February through July. During winter months, black drum move to deeper bays, sounds, or offshore waters.
Diet
Black drum are bottom feeders and use their sensitive chin barbels to locate food. They have pharyngeal teeth (in the throat) that are used to crush invertebrates, like mussels, oysters, crabs, shrimp, and occasionally small fish. Juveniles feed on small crabs, amphipods, copepods, shrimp, marine worms, and small fish. Larvae consume zooplankton.
Life History
Black drum are commonly found living over sandy and soft live bottoms in salt and brackish water. This includes estuaries, coastal rivers, shallow coastal bays, and along beaches. They are closely tied to natural and artificial hard structures like reefs, rock piles, jetties, docks, pier pilings, and bridges. Black drum reach maturity at 4-6 years of age, with males being 23 inches and females being 25 inches. Adults form schools to migrate to spawning areas during the spring and early summer. Spawning occurs in high salinity waters. Larvae use currents to travel to shallow tidal creeks. As they grow, they leave deeper inshore waters during fall to overwinter offshore, returning inshore during the spring.
Significance
Black drum are a popular recreational fish in South Carolina. They are also involved in research being conducted by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) and the University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB). SCDNR conducts longline, trammel net, and estuarine trawl surveys to monitor recreational fish populations and make science-based management decisions. USCB studies underwater soundscapes, using noises made by species like black drum to learn more about their life history and the health of the Port Royal Sound.
Threats & How You Can Help
Threats to black drums include degradation or loss of estuarine nursery habitat, recreational harvest, and lack of spawning location data for South Carolina. If fishing for black drum, it is important to follow all regulations including size, catch, and seasonal limits. Purchasing a Saltwater Fishing License is required to fish recreationally in the Port Royal Sound, and also contributes money towards conservation.
Additional Resources
https://portroyalsoundfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2022-PRSF-State-of-the-Sound-Symposium-Proceedings.pdf