Red Drum vs Red Lionfish
Sciaenops ocellatus compared with Pterois volitans
Taxonomy & Classification
| Attribute | Red Drum | Red Lionfish |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Sciaenops ocellatus | Pterois volitans |
| Order | Perciformes | Scorpaeniformes |
| Family | Sciaenidae | Scorpaenidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Physical Traits
| Attribute | Red Drum | Red Lionfish |
|---|---|---|
| Max Length | 155.0 cm | 38.0 cm |
| Max Weight | 45.0 kg | 1.1 kg |
| Color | Coppery-bronze to reddish-orange flanks with a characteristic black eyespot at the upper tail base; back is darker bronze-olive; belly pale to silvery; fins match body tone with dusky margins. | White to cream body with alternating bold reddish-brown and white vertical bands; fan-like pectoral fins are banded with red-brown and white spots; long dorsal spines are striped and venomous. |
Habitat & Environment
| Attribute | Red Drum | Red Lionfish |
|---|---|---|
| Water Type | Freshwater & Saltwater | Saltwater |
| Depth Range | 10-?m | 2-55m |
| Geographic Range | Western North Atlantic from Massachusetts south through the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean. Adults favor open nearshore reefs and coastal surf zones while juveniles inhabit … | Native to the Indo-Pacific from East Africa and the Red Sea to southern Japan, Australia, and the Marquesas. Invasive in the western Atlantic and Caribbean … |
| Habitat | Estuaries | Neritic, coral reefs |
Fishing Information
| Attribute | Red Drum | Red Lionfish |
|---|---|---|
| Game Fish | Yes | No |
| Fight Rating | 7/10 | — |
| World Record | — | — |
| Mercury Level | — | — |
Cuisine & Edibility
Red Drum
Firm, white flesh with a mild, sweet flavor and moderate fat; smaller fish (under 27 inches) are the best table size. Famous as 'blackened redfish' — a Louisiana Cajun culinary classic.
Red Lionfish
Sweet, buttery white flesh once spines are safely removed; increasingly promoted as a sustainable food source in Atlantic waters where it is an invasive species.
Species Overview
Red Drum
The red drum, or redfish, is an iconic inshore game fish of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Identified by the distinctive black spot at the base of its tail, it feeds by tipping head-down in shallow water, exposing its copper-colored tail.
Red Lionfish
The red lionfish is a venomous coral reef fish native to the Indo-Pacific. Its ornate, striped body and fan-like pectoral fins make it popular in aquariums, but it has become a destructive invasive species in the western Atlantic and Caribbean.