Spotted drum
Sciaenidae (Drums)
Equetus punctatus
0 to 100+ ft
The body is black and white, with a complex pattern of stripes and spots. The adult spotted drum can, however, be distinguished from similar species by the presence of numerous white spots on the black rear dorsal and tail fins. The first dorsal fin is quite long and high, a feature that is greatly exaggerated in juveniles. All of the fins are blackish. Juveniles have very long, trailing first dorsal fin and elongated pelvic fins. They lack spots on the fins. Juveniles can be distinguished from the juveniles of similar species by a black spot on the tip of the snout. Adults reach a length of 10 inches (25 cm). The spotted drum is found throughout Caribbean. It is very secretive, inhabiting crevices and small caves in coral reefs. It feeds at night on zooplankton.
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