Species: Sciaenops ocellatus, Red Drum

Sciaenops ocellatus (Linnaeus, 1766)

Red Drum

Body elongate, lower profile horizontal; snout overhangs small, horizontal mouth; teeth simple, in bands on jaws; chin without barbells, with 5 pores; snout with 10 pores; 12-14 short, stout gill rakers; preopercle smooth in adult, densely serrated in juvenile; top corner of gill opening notched; dorsal fin continuous, IX + I, with deep notch between spines and rays, 23-25 soft rays; anal fin with short base, II, 8-9, 2nd spine slender, ~ ½ length of 1st ray; tail fin with straight edge in adult, angular point in juvenile; scales rough on body, smooth on head and breast; soft dorsal with 1-2 rows of scales along base; inner ½ of tail fin scaled; the lateral line extends to the center of the end of the tail fin.

Iridescent coppery silver, 1 to several ocellated eye-sized spots under soft dorsal fin and onto tail base, sometimes an ocellus on lower tail fin base.

Reaches 160 cm, 45 kg.

Habitat: sandy and muddy bottoms.

Depth range: 0-27 m.

Maine to the Gulf of Mexico.