Sheepshead Drum

Pogonias cromis

The black drum (Pogonias cromis), sometimes called the sheepshead drum, is a large, heavy-bodied fish reaching up to 170 cm and over 50 kg, found in the western Atlantic from Nova Scotia to Argentina including the Gulf of Mexico. Adults are dark gray to black with a high, arched back and a characteristic chin bearing multiple small barbels used for detecting prey on the bottom. Juveniles are silvery with four to five dark vertical bars that fade with age. This species is named for the drumming sound males produce by vibrating their swim bladder with specialized muscles, particularly during spawning, which can be loud enough for divers to hear underwater. Black drum have powerful pharyngeal teeth (throat teeth) capable of crushing oysters, mussels, crabs, and other hard-shelled prey. Found in coastal waters, estuaries, bays, and over sandy and muddy bottoms from the surface to about 30 meters, they are commonly encountered by divers near jetties, piers, bridges, and artificial reefs along the US Gulf and Atlantic coasts.