Croaker

The croaker, and above all the Atlantic croaker (Micropogonias undulatus) of the US Atlantic and Gulf coasts, is a small, silvery-bronze inshore fish in the drum family Sciaenidae, named for the deep croaking or drumming sound it makes by vibrating muscles against its swim bladder. Lean, mild and faintly sweet, its small white fillets are a classic Southern pan-fish — usually scaled, gutted and shallow-fried whole or breaded and skillet-fried.