RED DRUM

Pogonias cromis

English: Channel bass, red fish, red horse.
Spanish: Corvinón ocelado, pez rojo, corvina roja, pescado colorado

The body of the red drum is elongate with a slightly arched back and sloping head. It has a blunt snout with a large sub-terminal mouth similar to most species in the Sciaenidae family. There are two dorsal fins, the first of which has ten hard spines and the second with one hard spine and numerous soft rays. The caudal fin is slightly concave. 

Red drum are excellent food fish—one of the most desirable in the Gulf of Mexico. It is still commonly used in the popular dish known as blackened redfish. Larger specimens can be coarse and stringy, but smaller fish are quite good. The flesh is white, heavy, and moist, with a fine texture and mild flavor.

The maximum reported length is 61 inches (155 cm) total length (TL), however this species is more typically seen at lengths of about 39.4 inches (100 cm) TL. The maximum published weight of the red drum is just under 100 pounds (45.0 kg).

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