What does the red drum eat?
Red drums feed on small fish, especially menhaden, but will also forage for crustaceans and other benthic creatures. How does the red drum reproduce? Red drums spawn from late summer through fall in coastal waters near the shore. Young red drums can be found in the Chesapeake Bay in August and September. They move farther up the Bay into shallow, fresher waters, where they feed on zooplankton and small invertebrates. Other facts about the red drum: • The red drum is also known as the channel bass. • Red drums can live up to 35 years. • Some scientists believe the purpose of the spot(s) on the red drum’s tail is to mimic an eye. This fools predators into attacking the wrong end of the fish, giving the red drum a chance to escape. • The red drum is a member of the drum family, which includes spot, weakfish, black drums and Atlantic croakers. Each of these fish is able to make a loud drumming or croaking sound by vibrating its swim bladder using special muscles. • In 1984, a Virginia man
