Croaker or Drum Family
(Sciaenidae)

Croaker or Drum Family, (Sciaenidae): The Croakers or Drums of the Sciaenidae Family, are a series of fish caught out of the surf that are known in Mexico as Corvinas and Berrugatas.

They are so named because of the sound they make with their resonating swim bladders.

The croakers are easily distinguished from other perciform fishes (a group of bony fished with more than 6,000 species placed in 150 families) by their separated dorsal fins, one or two anal spines, and a prominent lateral line that extends into the caudal fin and to its posterior edge. (The lateral line normally ends at the base of the caudal fin in most fishes.) They are tropical fishes that inhabit sandy shores and estuaries.

At present there are 284 known global species of Sciaenidae, of which 30 are found in the Sea of Cortez.

Members of the Croaker or Drum Family found in Mexican fishing waters and represented in the fish identification section of this website include:

Bigeye Croaker, Corvula macrops.
Black Croaker, Cheilotrema saturnum.
California Corbina, Menticirrhus undulatus.
Cortez Croaker, Umbrina wintersteeni.
Gulf Weakfish, Cynoscion othonopterum.
Longfin Croaker or Longfin Drum, Umbrina dorsalis.
Longspine Croaker, Umbrina analis.
Orangemouth Corvina, Cynoscion xanthulus.
Pacific Drum, Larimus pacificus.
Polla Drum, Golden Drum or Golden Croaker, Umbrina xanti.
Queenfish, Seriphus politus.
Shortfin Corvina or Shortfin Weakfish, Cynoscion parvipinnis.
Slender Kingfish, Menticirrhus elongatus.
Spotfin Croaker or Spotfin Drum, Roncador stearnsi.
Spotted Seatrout, Cynoscion nebulosus.
Steeplined Croaker, Larimus acclivis.
Striped Corvina, Cynoscion reticulates.
Totoaba, Totoaba macdonaldi.
Vermiculated Croaker, Ophioscion vermicularis.
White Seabass, White Weakfish or King Croaker, Atractoscion nobilis.
Wintersteen Croaker, Umbrina wintersteenis.
Yelloweye Croaker or Yellow Eye Drum, Odontoscion xanthops.
Yellowfin Croaker or Yellowfin Drum, Umbrina roncador.

Mexico Fishing Home Page < Fish Photo List < Croaker or Drum Family

Copyright ©