Fish Identification Photos: Polla Drum, Golden Drum, Golden Croaker, Umbrina xanti: The Polla Drum is characterized by its silver overall appearance and drum or croaker-like appearance. The Polla Drum has a series of oblique undulating brown lines above the lateral line and a series of parallel brown lines below the lateral line.

The Polla Drum has a blunt snout that projects over the lower jaw and a single thick barbell at the base of the chin. The gill covers are serrated and the gills are black. The caudal fin is straight or slightly concave. The caudal and dorsal fins are dusky; the anal, pectoral and pelvic fins are yellow.

The Polla Drum might be confused with a series of other croakers including the Longfin Croaker, Umbrina dorsalis (black blue-gray appearance with oblique lines only, a very short snout with dark fins except the pelvic fins which have a yellow tint); the Longspine Croaker, Umbrina analis (oblique lines only on its sides, yellow anal and pelvic fins); the Spotfin Croaker, Roncodor stearnsi (faint lines on its sides, no barbell); Wintersteen’s Croaker, Umbrina wintersteeni (rounded caudal fin, tan to golden brown oblique lines on its sides, and dark fins); and the Yellowfin Croaker, Umbrina roncacor (oblique lines above and below the lateral line and all fins are yellow).

The Polla Drum is a member of the Sciaenidae or Croaker or Drum Family. The Polla Drum is found along the Pacific side of the Baja California peninsula, south of Magdalena Bay, in the lower two-thirds of the Sea of Cortez, and along the coast of the mainland through to Guatemala.

The Polla Drum is found in the first 100 feet of the water column. The Polla Drum is reported to reach 14 inches in length. This species is quite rare and therefore of limited interest to most individuals.

Polla Drum, Golden Drum, Golden Croaker, Umbrina xanti: Length 17 inches, caught from the beach at La Ribera, East Cape, Baja California Sur, Mexico, on shrimp bait, 8-pound line, October 1997. Description and photo courtesy Peter Langstraat.