CHAPTER VIII 



THE DRUM FAMILY 

 (Scicenidce) 



The drumfish or croaker family is quite a large 

 one, comprising nearly one hundred and fifty 

 species, inhabiting the sandy shores of the seas or 

 the brackish water of the bays and estuaries, some- 

 times ascending tributary rivers to fresh water; 

 the fresh-water drum, hereafter to be described, 

 however, is the only species permanently residing 

 in fresh water. The members of this family have 

 usually an elongate body, with rough-edged 

 (ctenoid) scales ; the dorsal fin is deeply notched, 

 or in some species separated into two fins, with 

 the soft-rayed portion, or the second dorsal, com- 

 posed of many rays, while the spiny-rayed portion 

 has but few; some have barbels, but all have large 

 ear-bones ; the air-bladder is usually large and 

 complicated, and is supposed to be the source of 

 the drumming, croaking, or grunting sounds com- 

 mon to most of the species. 



213 



