Species profile
Red Drum
Sciaenops ocellatus
Identify Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) from a photo — free, unlimited, no sign-up — with the CatchRules iPhone app. Plus current fishing rules across 11 jurisdictions.
At a glance
Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) is an IUCN Least Concern bony-fish species regulated in 15 of 66 jurisdictions tracked by CatchRules across the U.S. and Canada.
The strictest bag limit is 1 (Florida); the most generous is 5 (Delaware).
Across 5 jurisdictions with stated minimum sizes, the average minimum is 19.0 in (≈ 1 ft 7 in).
Confirmed by 3,133 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with Texas, Florida, and North Carolina the top jurisdictions by observation count.
Notable details
- The black eyespot near its tail is thought to mislead striking predators.
- Males produce a drumming sound using their swim bladder during fall spawning runs.
- Can live over 40 years and weigh more than 90 pounds.
- Juveniles spend their first years in estuaries and tidal marshes.
- Highly euryhaline, tolerating salinities from near-fresh water to full seawater.
Where Red Drum are seen
Jurisdictions with rules for Red Drum
Background
The red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus), also known as channel bass, redfish, spottail bass, or simply red, is a game fish found in the Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts to Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico from Florida to northern Mexico. It is the only species in the genus Sciaenops. The red drum is related to the black drum (Pogonias cromis), and the two species are often found in close proximity…
Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Red Drum article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.
Other bony fish on CatchRules
Frequently asked questions
What is Red Drum?
Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) is an IUCN Least Concern bony-fish species regulated in 15 of 66 jurisdictions tracked by CatchRules across the U.S. and Canada.
What is the scientific name for Red Drum?
Red Drum is Sciaenops ocellatus.
Is Red Drum regulated for fishing?
Yes — Red Drum has fishing regulations in 11 U.S. states and/or Canadian provinces tracked by CatchRules. See the "Jurisdictions with rules" section above for the binding-source links.
How can I identify Red Drum?
Take a photo with the free CatchRules iPhone app — on-device identification recognizes Red Drum along with ~1,500 other species. No sign-up, unlimited use.
Photo credit: iNaturalist / Wikipedia. Identification reference only — verify regulations with the issuing wildlife agency before retaining a catch.