Bahamas Spotted Drum

Snorkeling in Nassau not only makes for a great family trip, but also an incredibly educational experience as you snorkel into the depths of oceanic mystery. No doubt you will see a wide variety of aquatic species, very likely to include the beautiful and unique "Spotted Drum". The Spotted Drum, scientifically classified as Equetus punctatus boasts of a beautiful speckling of white along its dark brown body and features long dorsal fins almost comparable to wings during its youth.

While younger Spotted Drum fish do not have spots, their extraordinarily long dorsal fins are a sight to see as they drift along gracefully in their trail. Juvenile Spotted Drums are can be hard to see sometimes because of their tiny size, some hardly even the size of a dime.

When a Spotted Drum reaches adulthood, it wears both a splattering of white spots and stripes that contrast beautifully against its dark, primary pigment. The reason why "Spotted Drums" got its musically-allusive name is because of the low, resonating sound that it makes regularly, comparable to the sound of a beating drum. This sound is produced from the exertion of certain muscles and its air bladder.

Spotted drums exist as a generally small fish, its greatest size recorded at 27 cm in length. The Spotted Drum makes its home most usually in coral reefs, leading a pretty solitary lifestyle. It remains in hiding within ledges or small caves for the most part, and is found primarily in depths of 30 meters. The Spotted Drum feeds nocturnally, mostly consuming a diet of crabs, polychaetes, and shrimp.

Divers are most likely to see this fish during nighttime excursions since the Spotted Drum remains in hiding for most of the day. Remember to keep safe distances from coral reefs while looking for this species.