Head to head
Black Drum vs Red Drum
A black drum and a red drum are both members of the drum family capable of producing their own croaking sound, sharing coastal estuary habitat across much of the same range while relying on very different survival tricks.
| Black Drum | Red Drum | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Pogonias cromis | Sciaenops ocellatus |
| Signature trait | Shell-crushing pharyngeal throat teeth | Fake eyespot near the tail |
| Chin barbels | Present, detects buried prey | Absent |
| Colouration | Dark gray to black | Coppery-red to bronze |
| Maximum size | Can exceed 90 pounds | Generally smaller at maturity |
| Alternate common names | None widely used | Redfish, channel bass |
| Diet | Oysters, crabs, clams | Crabs, shrimp, smaller fish |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Black Drum vs Red Drum: common questions
Why does the black drum have such powerful teeth compared to the red drum?
The black drum specialises in crushing hard-shelled prey such as oysters and clams whole using powerful, flattened pharyngeal teeth in its throat, a specialised adaptation the red drum does not rely on to the same degree, since it instead targets softer prey like crabs, shrimp, and smaller fish.
What is the fake eyespot on a red drum for?
A red drum typically carries one or more black, eye-like spots near the base of its tail, a marking thought to trick predators into striking the tail rather than the more vulnerable head, a defensive decoy the black drum does not display.
Do both the black drum and red drum make sounds?
Yes, both species can produce a drumming or croaking sound by vibrating specialised muscles against the swim bladder, a trait shared broadly across the drum family and most commonly associated with mating behaviour in both species.