Common Name
Twinspot Bass
Year Described
Cuvier, 1829
Identification
Dorsal Fin: X, 12-13
Anal Fin: III, 6-8
Pelvic Fin: I, 5
Pectoral Fin: 16-17
Caudal Fin: 13-15 branched rays
Lateral Line Scales: 39-44
Gill Rakers: 15-18
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 and compressed. Snout shorter than eye. Maxilla exposed. Accessory bone absent. Middle opercular spine straight. Tail edge truncated. Scales relatively large and ctenoid. Top of head without scales. 6-7 scale rows on cheek.
Color
Body pale brown with dark brown markings on each scale forming a densely speckled or reticulated pattern. Head pale brown with brown to orange spotting. Two dark brown stripes on head: one runs from snout through eye to midbody and the other runs from the top of head to mid-body under dorsal fin. Belly with a large pearly white blotch. Dorsal fin pale with rows of brown to bright orange spots. There are three distinct black blotches on the dorsal fin: one between spines 3-6, one on the anterior soft dorsal fin, and one on the lower rear soft dorsal fin. Caudal fin with brown to orange spots along rays and two distinctive black spots at the base. Anal fin yellowish with orange spots. Pelvic fin pale with a black streak and white anterior edge. Eye golden with an orange ring.
Size
Maximum size to 75mm SL.
Habitat
Coral reefs, rocky reefs, and sandy seagrass beds from 2-402m (usually shallow).
Range
The Yucatan Peninsula to the Caribbean islands and S. Brazil.
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.