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Boe drum (Pteroscion peli) — Sciaenidae

Boe drum

Pteroscion peli
Family: Sciaenidae
LC · Least Concern

The Boe drum (Pteroscion peli) is a brackish-water fish of the family Sciaenidae that grows up to 32 cm.

Length
32 cm
Water
Brackish
Depth
0.0–200.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Highly prized

Description

The boe drum is a slender, silvery croaker of the family Sciaenidae (drums) reaching about 32 cm. The elongate, silvery-grey body with a yellowish tinge has a notably long second dorsal fin. Like other drums it can make a drumming or grunting sound with muscles against its swim bladder. The species forms schools over sand and mud bottoms of coastal water and estuaries along the West African coast and tolerates brackish water. On and above the bottom it hunts, mainly at night, for shrimps, small crustaceans, worms and small fish. With its tasty flesh the boe drum is a valued commercial fish for the West African coastal fishery.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Boe drum?

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

Where does the Boe drum live?

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

How big does the Boe drum get?

The Boe drum grows to a maximum of about 32 cm. On average the species is around 20 cm.

Is the Boe drum dangerous to humans?

No, the Boe drum is harmless to humans.

Is the Boe drum edible?

Yes, the Boe drum is a highly prized food fish.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Boe-ombervis inferred
English name
Boe drum verified
Scientific name
Pteroscion peli
Family
Sciaenidae
Other names
Boe drum sourced

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
32.0 verified
Average length (cm)
20.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey sourced
Pattern
Plain sourced
Tail shape
Straight inferred
Mouth position
Terminal inferred
Lips
Thick / fleshy inferred
Barbels
No verified
Dorsal fins
Two separate sourced
Dorsal spines
Yes verified

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Brackish verified
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom verified
Min depth (m)
0.0 verified
Max depth (m)
200.0 verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

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

For anglers

Edibility
Highly prized verified
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 verified

Status & sources

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

More from the family Sciaenidae

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