View in other NatureServe Network Field Guides
NatureServe
Montana
Utah
Wyoming
Idaho
Wisconsin
British Columbia
South Carolina
Yukon
California
New York
Freshwater Drum - Aplodinotus grunniens
Native Species Global Rank :
G5
State Rank :
S4
(see State Rank Reason below)
Agency Status USFWS :
USFS :
BLM :
External Links
State Rank Reason (see State Rank above)
Populations are stable, low threats from harvest, water management and drought.
Freshwater Drum (Aplodinotus grunniens ) Conservation Status Summary
State Rank: S4
Review Date = 02/20/2024
How we calculate Conservation Status
Rarity:
Very Uncommon Very Common
Threats:
Highly Threatened Unthreatened
Trends:
Rapidly Declining Declining Stable Increasing
Rank:
S1
S2
S3
S4
S5
Critically Imperiled Secure
See the complete
Conservation Status Report
General Description
The only member of the drum family native to Montana. This species is found in larger streams and reservoirs in the plains region of Montana's eastern drainages. Drum are so named because they can produce sound by "drumming" muscles against their gas bladders. Drum are spring broadcast spawners, but unlike other Montana fish their eggs are buoyant. Drum are not a sport fish in Montana and are taken commercially elsewhere. Drum eat fish, insects, clams and snails.
Diagnostic Characteristics
Silvery with a pearl-gray back. This is the only Montana fish in which the lateral line extends onto the tail.
Species Range
Montana Range
Range Descriptions
Native
Western Hemisphere Range
Observations in Montana Natural Heritage Program Database
Number of Observations: 587
(Click on the following maps and charts to see full sized version)
Map Help and Descriptions
Relative Density
Recency
(Observations spanning multiple months or years are excluded from time charts)
Habitat
Deep pools of large streams, lakes, and reservoirs. Prefers clean bottoms and moderate turbidity. Spawning has been observed to take place in lakes some distance from shore.
Food Habits
Eats a variety of aquatic invertebrates but snails and small clams are the predominant foods.
Reproductive Characteristics
Spawns May - June at 65 - 70 degrees F. Spawns in schools near surface of water. Hatching time short. Fry float near surface for a time, then seek the bottom where water is deep.
Stewardship Responsibility
Based on the Montana Natural Heritage Program's latest
predicted habitat suitability model
Total species' range in Montana 40,713 km2
(11% of Montana)
Area predicted to have 6,158 km2
(2% of Montana)
Stewardship responsibility for 1-square mile hexagons intersecting predicted occupied stream reaches and standing water bodies is broken down as follows
Total Suitable
Suitable (native range)
Federal
26%
26%
State
4%
4%
Local
<1%
<1%
Conservation Lands/Easements
1%
1%
Private/Tribal/Unknown
69%
69%
See the Habitat Suitability for Biodiversity task in Map Viewer
for a more detailed look at stewardship responsibilities within a variety of local jurisdictions.
References
Literature Cited AboveLegend: Additional ReferencesLegend: Do you know of a citation we're missing? Effects of recreation on Rocky Mountain wildlife: a review for Montana . [Montana]: Montana Chapter of the Wildlife Society. Web Search Engines for Articles on "Freshwater Drum"
Additional Sources of Information Related to "Fish"
