Black drum (Pogonias cromis) is a saltwater, brackish species recorded in the United States. It is found at depths of ≥ 10 m.
Scientific name: Pogonias cromis · Water: Saltwater, Brackish
Size: up to 170 cm
The black drum is a demersal sciaenid found usually over sand and sandy mud bottoms in coastal waters, especially in areas with large river runoffs and in mangrove areas, and juveniles often enter estuaries. It feeds mainly on crustaceans, mollusks and fishes. It is recorded from 10 m downwards, with no maximum depth recorded for it, and it also enters brackish water. Its range is the western Atlantic, from Nova Scotia and northern Mexico to Florida. Maximum length is about 170 cm total length, commonly about 50 cm, and it can live 43 years, maturing at about 64.5 cm. It is a commercial species, a gamefish and a public aquarium fish, with a low price category. Fishing vulnerability is high at 62 of 100 and resilience medium, and climate vulnerability is moderate to high at 54 of 100. IUCN lists it as least concern.
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