Spotted drum

The spotted drum is a very common sight, swimming back and forth in reef recesses during the day, coming out to feed only at night.  Over the last several years, we have frequently encountered early juvenile spotted drums in smaller spaces on the reef.  These early juveniles have been as small as a half inch.

This year, the only early juvenile drum that I have seen was closer to 2 inches in length.  So, I'm hoping that this isn't a harbinger of population decline for the spotted drum.

The first photo is the juvenile, always a joy to find!

The second photo is an adult, about 8 inches long.  Both photos were taken in about 30 feet of water.