Atlantic Croaker

Big life changes this weekend.

Art

carve rabbit

Animal

http://www.flickr.com/photos/88158121@N00/ / CC BY 2.0

The Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus) is a member of the drum family that occurs along the east coast of the United States. They are the loudest of the drums and produce sound by vibrating their swim bladders with special sonic muscles. They create sounds for a number of reasons most often to attract mates or when they are distressed, they have also been observed to make a knocking sound in the presence of juveniles. They are an important food fish and as far as saltwater food fish go are doing reasonably well (declining but in a less rapid way then many) and not caught in a hideously destructive manner. On the downside they are full of PCBs. They breed quickly and grow to breeding age at around 2 years, though they can live for 6 to 8 years.

Sound of an Atlantic croaker croaking