Common Name
Lantern Bass
Year Described
Evermann & Marsh, 1900
Identification
Dorsal Fin: X, 11-12
Anal Fin: III, 7
Pelvic Fin: I, 5
Pectoral Fin: 13-17
Caudal Fin: 13-15 branched rays
Lateral Line Scales: 42-48
Gill Rakers: 14-18
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 moderately compressed. Snout shorter than eye. Maxilla exposed. Accessory bone absent. Middle opercular spine straight. Tail edge truncated. Scales relatively large and strongly ctenoid. Top of head without scales. 6-7 scale rows on cheek.
Color
Body whitish basally with a bright brassy yellow midbody stripe from opercle to caudal peduncle. Dorsal to that, the body has three parallel lines of blackish blotches, becoming smaller toward the dorsal fin. The blotches are barely connected. Ventrally to the yellow stripe, there are six separated blotches that are bicolored orange and black. Interspaces with a small orange spot. Body stripes continue on head as a strong eye-band. Rest of head mottled with black. Caudal peduncle with two sets of spots: a pair in line with body markings and four more verically spaced on the base of the caudal fin. Spiny dorsal fin with dusky stripes and black spine tips. soft portion with pearly blue and yellow stripes. Caudal, anal, and pelvic fins with pearly blue and yellow markings. Eye reddish to orange.
Size
Maximum size to 74mm SL.
Habitat
Close to bottom on sandy and rocky substrate around coral reefs (0-80m).
Range
S. Florida to S. Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea.
References
McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. 2005. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. Volume 2: Scorpaeniformes to Tetraodontiformes. University of Texas Press, Austin. i-viii +1-1004.
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.