Common Name
Walleye Bass
Year Described
Poey, 1852
Identification
Dorsal Fin: X, 11-12
Anal Fin: III, 7
Pelvic Fin: I, 5
Pectoral Fin: 14
Caudal Fin: 13-15 branched rays
Lateral Line Scales: 50-55
Gill Rakers: 20-24
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 strongly fusiforme, moderately compressed and head very pointed. Lower jaw strongly projecting. Snout very long (12-14% SL). Maxilla exposed. Accessory bone absent. Opercular spines well developed with middle spine enlarged and upturned. Tail forked. Scales large and ctenoid. Top of head without scales. 8-10 rows of scales on cheek.
Color
Body whitish with a aquamarine to blue sheen. Pattern dominated by three parallel dark brown to black stripes that are interrupted along their length into distinct blotches. Interspaces between blotches paler brown. Center stripe continues through eye. Blotches on head more reddish in color. Dorsal midline with dark blotches that continue onto dorsal fin (especially on middle of spiny dorsal). Rest of fins variably pale whitish to yellowish with faint markings. Caudal fin clear with dark edging formed from the body bars tapering onto fin. Eye yellowish.
Size
Maximum size to 150mm SL.
Habitat
Mesophotic on soft to hard bottoms from 60-300m. Usually swims off bottom.
Range
Southwestern Gulf of Mexico to the Greater and Lesser Antilles.
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.