Fusca drum (Umbrina ronchus)

Scientific name: Umbrina ronchus Valenciennes, 1843

The Fusca drum (Umbrina ronchus) is a freshwater fish of the family Sciaenidae.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 23-26; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 7. Juveniles brown with narrow oblique wavy stripes, becoming obscure with age.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Umbrina ronchus
Family: Sciaenidae (Drums or croakers)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 100.0
Common length: 50.0
Depth range: 20–200 m (66–656 ft)
Environment: Marine; freshwater; brackish; demersal; depth range 20 - 200 m
Climate: Subtropical
Distribution: Eastern Atlantic and Western Indian Ocean: western Mediterranean and Gibraltar to the Cape and along the east coast of Africa to the Persian Gulf. Not yet recorded from Namibia but may eventually be found there.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience: Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.3)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Last updated 27 September 2026