Black drum, continued 



from state to state (Leard et al. 1993). In Texas, the 

 most successful baits used by anglers are crabs 

 (Callinectes sp.), shrimp (Penaeus sp.), and sea lice 

 (Squilla empusa) (Hostettler 1 982), but cut fish are also 

 used (Simmons and Breurer 1 962. Most catches are 

 made with rod and reels equipped with bottom rigs. 

 Angling regulations vary among the Gulf states (GSMFC 

 1993). Black drum have been experimentally hybrid- 

 ized with red drum to develop a potential hybrid gamef ish 

 (NMFS1983). 



Indicator of Environmental Stress : The black drum is 

 not typically used in studies of environmental stress. 



Ecological : This is a demersal species that feeds 

 mainly on benthic organisms, primarily bivalve mol- 

 luscs (Sutter et al. 1986). This species is known to 

 consume large numbers of oysters on seed reefs and 

 oyster "grow-out" leases in Louisiana and Mississippi 

 (Benson 1982, Dugas 1986). 



Range 



Overall : The black drum ranges from Massachusetts to 

 Argentina. It is common from Chesapeake Bay to 

 Florida, and in the Gulf of Mexico. It occurs along the 

 southern coasts of the Greater Antilles and all of the 

 Lesser Antilles, but is rare, and the South American 

 shelf from Guyana to Brazil. It is apparently absent in 

 the southern Gulf, and mainland Central America 

 (Hoese and Moore 1977, Fischer 1978, Shipp 1986, 

 Sutter etal. 1986). 



Within Study Area : The black drum is common in the 

 northern portion of the Gulf of Mexico from Florida Bay, 

 Florida to the Rio Grande, Texas. It is relatively 

 abundant along the coasts of Louisiana, near the 

 Mississippi Riverdelta, and Texas (Table 5.38) (Benson 

 1982, Shipp 1986, Sutter et al. 1986, Nieland and 

 Wilson 1993). 



Life Mode 



The black drum is an estuarine-dependent species 

 (Benson 1982). Spawning occurs primarily in nearshore 

 waters and estuarine passes (Ditty pers. comm.). Eggs 

 are pelagic and buoyant (Joseph et al. 1 964, Ditty and 

 Shaw 1994). Larvae are pelagic, and are transported 

 by tidal currents through passes to estuarine waters. 

 Juveniles prefer shallow, nutrient rich, turbid waters, 

 such as tidal creeks and channels, but they have also 

 been found in fresh water habitats (Gunter 1942, 

 Gunter 1956, Sutter 1986). Adults are demersal 

 throughout the estuaries and bays of the northern Gulf 

 (Simmons and Breuer 1962, Cornelius 1984). At 

 maturity there is constant movement in search of food, 

 and feeding fish will typically travel in large schools 

 (Richards 1973, Bryant et al. 1989). 



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