Pogonias drums are characterised by having rhomboidal, compressed bodies, with a low head and an almost horizontal mouth located beneath the snout. There are 5 pores on the chin with 3 pairs of small barbels and a further 8 to 22 barbels along the outer edge of the lower jaw. The
preoperculum has no serrations. The
dorsal fin has a deep incision dividing the spiny part at the front from the soft-rayed part. There are 11 thin spines and between 19 and 22 soft rays in the dorsal fin while the small
anal fin has 2 spines and between 5 and 7 soft rays. The short
pectoral fin does not extend as far as the anus,[9] These are large fishes with the maximum published
total length of the black drum being 170 cm (67 in) and its maximum published weight being 51.3 kg (113 lb).[10]
Distribution and habitat
Pogonias drums are found in the western Atlantic and the two species are
parapatric. The black drum is found as far north as the
Bay of Fundy, although they are uncommon farther north than
Chesapeake Bay and south to the
Gulf of Mexico and the Bahamas, although absent from Cuba.[11] The Southern black drum is found in southeastern South America between
Rio de Janeiro State and the southern
San Matías Gulf in
Patagonia. They are demersal coastal fishes which live on sandy or muudy bottoms and use estuaries as nursery areas.[8]