Fish Identification Photos: Bigeye Croaker, Corvula macrops: The Bigeye Croaker is characterized by its overall silver appearance, oblong body, blunt snout, and a recessed mouth with no barbell. The Bigeye Croaker has a faint stripe above its lateral line, and the edges of the gill covers are smooth. It has black anal and pelvic fins, and the caudal fin is slightly rounded.

The Bigeye Croaker has a strong second anal spine three-fourths of the length of the first soft rays, and 9 to 11 anal rays.

The Bigeye Croaker might be confused with two other croakers with similar appearance, the Striped Stardum, Stellifer chrysoleuca (rounded caudal fin and serrated gill covers) and the Bigeye Drum or Bussing’s Drum, Umbrina bussingi (concave head profile, S-shaped caudal fin, long pointed pectoral fins, no stripes on the sides, and black inside the mouth).

The Bigeye Croaker is a rare member of a series of the Sciaenidae or Croaker or Drum Family. The Bigeye Croaker is found only on a limited basis in Mexican waters, from Magdalena Bay on the Pacific Side of the Baja California peninsula to Cabo San Lucas, and on mainland Mexico south of Acapulco to Guatemala.

It is completely absent from the Sea of Cortez. The Bigeye Croaker is found in the first 75 feet of the water column and is reported to reach a maximum length of 10 inches. It is viewed by locals to be too rare and too small to be of much interest.

Bigeye Croaker, Corvula macrops: Caught from shore well before dawn, in 85-degree water, in October 2003, in rocky structure, 20 yards from shore, utilizing 15-pound test line, 1-ounce barrel sinker, swivel, and size #4, Mustad 92553 hook, with one-half a peeled medium-sized shrimp, at Km. 20 (Cabo Real) between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Size approximately 8 inches and 1 pound. A very rare catch. Description and photo courtesy John Snow. Fish identification courtesy of Dr. Ross Robertson, The Smithsonian Institute, Panama. Bigeye Croaker, Corvula macrops: Photo courtesy John Snow.