longfin drum
Umbrina dorsalis
Croaker of sandy bottoms and tide pools on the Pacific, from Mexico to Ecuador. Prized flesh, sold fresh in the region's markets.
Also called: corvina-de-nadadeira-longa, verrugato aleta larga, berrugata aleta larga, longfin croaker
- maximum
- 40 cm
who is the longfin drum
The longfin croaker is a fish of the family Sciaenidae, the family of croakers and weakfishes. It has an oblong body, with an arched back, and grows to 40 cm, with a common size of 22 cm. It lives on sandy beaches, bays and tide pools, from Mexico to Ecuador. It feeds on crustaceans and worms from the bottom. Its snout protrudes, its mouth is small and turned downward, and its chin has a stiff barbel. It is considered a good table fish, sold fresh in markets, and its flesh is highly prized.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the longfin drum; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Oblong body, silvery blue, with an arched back and a pale belly. The flanks have dark stripes, the gill cavity is quite dark, and the edge of the preopercle, the cheekbone, is serrated. The second dorsal fin is long. The snout protrudes and the chin has a stiff barbel. It belongs to the same genus as the roncador (Umbrina roncador), which lives on part of the same coast.
Loading the next 7 days…
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
Eastern Pacific, from Mexico to Ecuador, on sandy beaches, in bays and tide pools of Central America and the north of the South American coast.
Habitat: Sandy bottoms of beaches and bays, also in tide pools along the coast.
rules for the longfin drum
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
Poses no danger to anglers. Release quickly any fish you do not keep.
in the kitchen
Sold fresh in markets, and its flesh is highly prized.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00933, b = 3.07; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa pelo gênero e formato do corpo)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
—
sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Umbrina dorsalis (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Umbrina dorsalisNames by country and language.
