SCIiENIDAS OF THE eastern united states coast. 
145 
GENERAL DISCUSSION. 
The Scisenidse, or drum family, embrace about 30 genera and 150 species, and 
although a few species are confined to fresh water the great majority inhabit shallow 
water near the sandy shores of the warmer seas. Most of the marine species freely 
enter bays and sounds, and some of them at times ascend rivers to waters of low 
salinity, occasionally being taken in water that is practically fresh. 
One of the striking characteristics of the family is the ability of most of the 
species to emit sounds, which have been variously described as “ drumming,” 
“ croaking,” “grunting,” “snoring,” “bellowing,” “purring,” “buzzing,” and 
“whistling.” These sounds are produced by vibrations of the air bladder and are 
frequently so intense that they may be heard for a long distance. The “drums” 
take their common names from the character of the sounds they produce. The sound 
that emanates from a school of spawning squeteague in full “voice” is a humming, 
purring, throbbing trill, which fluctuates in intensity and seems to come from all 
directions at once. All fishermen for these species are familiar with the croaking 
and grunting sounds these fish make when captured. 
So far as known, all the species of the family feed chiefly on fish, crustaceans, 
mollusks, or annelids. The food of the early post-larval forms as far as studied 
consists of similar forms and the smaller plankton organisms. 
The family is represented on the eastern coast of the United States by 12 
genera and 18 species, none of which ranges north of Cape Cod. Of these, 5 species, 
Egues acuminatus, E. pulcher, E. lanceolatus, TJmbrina coroides, and Corvula sialis, 
occur only as stragglers. Two others, Larimus fasciatus and SteTlifer lanceolatus, 
attain only a small size, and although taken in great numbers in the trawls of the 
shrimp fishermen have not as yet been utilized. The 11 remaining species are all 
of commercial importance as food fishes, and most of them are keenly sought by 
anglers as well. 
If the summer migration of adult drum ( Scisenops ocellatus and Pogonias cromis ) 
to the New Jersey coast be excepted, each species appears to breed in suitable 
localities throughout the full extent of its range. In northern waters, and to some 
extent in southern waters also, the fish disappear during the winter months, and 
although it is known that some species merely seek deeper water the whereabouts 
of others during this time is still a matter of speculation. A case in point is that 
of the squeteague ( Cynoscion regalis). Several theories are held among fishermen 
as to the whereabouts of this species during the winter. The most popular theory 
is that of a general and extensive migration to the southward, but many believe 
that the fish move offshore to the deep water on the inner edge of the Gulf Stream, 
and others, that the fish hibernate — place not stated. However, there is no positive 
evidence to sustain any of these theories, the only fact that can be substantiated 
being that the fish do disappear from their summer haunts. 
Local migrations in the search for food or for the purpose of reproduction 
occur with most of the species. In these movements the fish usually travel in 
schools, more or less compact, but sometimes scattering. The movement usually 
takes place on or near the bottom, but the squeteagues often travel in mid-water 
and sometimes at the surface. 
