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Shorthead drum (Larimus breviceps) — Sciaenidae

Shorthead drum

Larimus breviceps
Family: Sciaenidae
LC · Least Concern

The Shorthead drum (Larimus breviceps) is a brackish-water fish of the family Sciaenidae that grows up to 31 cm.

Length
31 cm
Water
Brackish
Depth
1.0–60.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The shorthead drum is a croaker from the western Atlantic, from the Caribbean to Brazil. The species grows to about 31 cm and has a deep, silvery body with a short, blunt head and an oblique, upturned mouth. Like other croakers it can produce a drumming sound with its swim bladder. As a bottom-dweller it lives over sandy and muddy bottoms of shallow coastal water and hunts shrimp and small fish. It is a local food fish and is assessed as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Shorthead drum?

The Shorthead drum has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Shorthead drum live?

The Shorthead drum lives in brackish water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Shorthead drum get?

The Shorthead drum grows to a maximum of about 31 cm. On average the species is around 20 cm.

Is the Shorthead drum dangerous to humans?

No, the Shorthead drum is harmless to humans.

Is the Shorthead drum edible?

Yes, the Shorthead drum is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Kortkop-ombervis verified
English name
Shorthead drum verified
Scientific name
Larimus breviceps
Family
Sciaenidae
Other names
Cabezon; Rockhead bashaw; Shorthead Drum; Shorthead drum verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
31.0 verified
Average length (cm)
20.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey inferred
Pattern
Plain sourced
Tail shape
Straight inferred
Mouth position
Superior (upward) sourced
Lips
Thin sourced
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
Yes sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Brackish sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
1.0 verified
Max depth (m)
60.0 verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Schooling sourced
Territorial
No sourced
Activity
Nocturnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten sourced
Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Larimus

More from the family Sciaenidae

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