Drum & Croaker
Freshwater Drum
Aplodinotus grunniens
FreshwaterSciaenidaeLeast Concern
About
The Freshwater Drum is a deep-bodied fish with a humped back and a long dorsal fin divided into spiny and soft-rayed portions. They are bottom-feeding fish often found in turbid waters and are known for the drumming sound they produce using their swim bladder.
- Average size
- 12-20 inches, 2-5 lbs (can exceed 50 lbs)
- Colors
- Silver to gray, sometimes with a bronze or brassy sheen. Younger fish may have faint vertical bars.
- Diet
- Invertebrates (insects, crayfish, mollusks), small fish
- Region
- Widespread throughout North America, primarily in the Mississippi River basin, Great Lakes, and St. Lawrence River drainage.