Who dares to keep a spotted drum in a reef tank?

Spotted drums are such enchanting fish and we all know impulse buyings are just wrong. Wrong. Very wrong. But, I have to confess: I am also guilty. This article is about my experiences with a weird fish that I could not resist. Do…

Blackbar drum Pareques iwamotoi is an unknown but stunning Caribbean beauty

As big of fans as we are of Caribbean drum fish, we’ve only recently learned of the gorgeous black bar drum, Pareques iwamotoi. Hailing from the coastal waters of the United States Mexico and Central America the black bar drum is…

Spotted Drum – Another Look at a Spotlight-Worthy Species

Last year ReefBuilders championed the elusive and rare-in-the-trade Florida Spotted Drum, Equetus punctatus, as one of the most underrated reef fish.  So I couldn’t help offering another look at the species, this time, a hand-collected juvenile from Florida that recently…

The spotted drum, Equetus punctatus, is one of the most underrated reef fish of all time

The spotted drum, Equetus punctatus, is one of our all-time favorite reef fish and it’s just a puzzle as to why this fish isn’t way more popular. In Japan a decent spotted drum can fetch upwards of $300 or more…