pacific drum
Larimus pacificus
Uncommon croaker of coastal Pacific waters, from Mexico to Peru, with dark stripes on the flanks and a large mouth.
Also called: corvina-do-pacifico, boquinete del Pacífico, corvineta tambor, pacific drum
- maximum
- 32 cm
- depth
- 29–50 m
who is the pacific drum
The Pacific croaker is a fish of the family Sciaenidae, with a short, shallow body, found in coastal waters of the tropical eastern Pacific, from Mexico to Peru. It is an uncommon species that lives between 29 and 50 m deep. It grows to 32 cm. It has a large, oblique mouth, grey to brownish-silver in colour and darker on the back, with well-defined black stripes along the rows of scales on the flanks. It feeds mainly on plankton crustaceans. It is an infrequent catch of small-scale commercial fishing.
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 pacific drum; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Short, shallow body, with a large, oblique mouth that extends past the centre of the eye. The back is darker and the flanks have sharp black stripes along the scales. The fins range from pale to greyish. It looks like the blackstripe croaker (Larimus acclivis), which also has dark lines on the flanks, but this one reaches 32 cm and lives between 29 and 50 m, while the other reaches 26 cm and stays in shallower water, down to 30 m.
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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 Peru, in coastal waters, at 29 to 50 m deep, from Central America to the Andean coast.
Habitat: Coastal waters, 29 to 50 m deep.
rules for the pacific 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. Handle with wet hands and carefully release the specimens you are not keeping.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.0123, b = 3.07; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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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: Larimus pacificus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Larimus pacificusNames by country and language.
