Common Name
Blackear Bass
Year Described
Cuvier, 1829
Identification
Dorsal Fin: X, 12
Anal Fin: III, 7
Pelvic Fin: I, 5
Pectoral Fin: 15-17
Caudal Fin: 13-15 branched rays
Lateral Line Scales: 44-47
Gill Rakers: 15-20
Vertebrae: 10 precaudal, 14 caudal; 24 total
Serranus defined by Robins & Starck (1961) with the following set of characters. Supramaxilla absent. Maxilla not covered by lachrymal. Premaxillary with a dorsal expansion. Teeth present on dentary, premaxilla, vomer, and palatine. Preopercle serrated. Opercle with three spines. Dorsal fin continuous. Caudal fin with 17 principal rays. Branchiostegal rays number 7. Snout, jaw area, and brachiostegal area naked. Scales encroach on bases of median fin membranes. Lateral line arched and continuous.
Body elongate, relatively fusiforme, and moderately compressed. Snout shorter than eye. Maxilla exposed. Accessory bone absent. Opercular spines indistinct and mostly covered by skin. Tail edge slightly emarginate. Scales large, deciduous and weakly ctenoid. Top of head scaled to level of rear orbit. 5 scale rows on cheek.
Color
Body pale whitish with a bluish metallic sheen. A pattern of purplish to yellowish-brown bands is variably expressed depending on mood or association with the bottom. A single dark bar is usually obvious on midbody and extends from the dorsal fin to the belly. The pearly belly bar is indistinct. Opercle with an elongated dark blotch surrounded by light pigment. Fins usually pale whitish to yellowish with few markings. Eye white or yellow.
Size
Maximum size to 120mm SL.
Habitat
Found mostly over soft bottoms from 10-370m. Occurs relatively deeper than congeners.
Range
Florida to S. Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea.
References
Robins, C.R. & W.A., Starck II. 1961. Materials for a revision of Serranus and related fish genera. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia v. 113 (no. 11): 259-314.