Serranus tigrinus

Serranus tigrinus, the harlequin bass, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sea bass from the subfamily Serraninae, classified as part of the family Serranidae which includes the groupers and anthias. It is found in the western Atlantic Ocean. This species is found in the aquarium trade.

Serranus tigrinus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Serranidae
Subfamily: Serraninae
Genus: Serranus
Species:
S. tigrinus
Binomial name
Serranus tigrinus
(Bloch, 1790)
Synonyms[2]

Holocentrus tigrinus Bloch, 1790

Description

Serranus tigrinus has a laterally compressed elongate body with a pointed snout which is shorter than the diameter of the eye. It has 3 clearly visible spines on the gill cover, the middle spine being straight. The margins of the preopercle are regularly serrated but there are no spines at its angle. The dorsal fin has 10 spines and 12 soft rays while the anal fin contains 3 spines and 7 soft rays. The caudal fin is slightly concave.[3] This species has a black and white mottle pattern on its back and a yellow and black mottled [pattern on the lower body.[4] A black strip runs from the snout through the eye and the chin and throat have large black blotches on a white background. There are 8 vertical black bars, 2 on the nape and 6 on the body. The caudal fin has a black bar at itrs base and the membrane is marked with black spots. The dorsal fin has twin lines of black spots along it while the base of the anal fin has a single line of black spots.[3] The maximum publsihed total length is 29 centimetres (11 in).[2]

Distribution

Serranus tigrinus is a species of the western Atlantic Ocean where it is found throughout the Caribbean from southern Florida to Trinidad and Tobago, including the mainland coast from the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico to Venezuela.[1]

Habitat and biology

Serranus tigrinus is normally encountered as individuals or as pairs in the rocky parts of reefs or where there is scattered coral.[5] It is found at depths of 0 to 40 metres (0 to 131 ft).[1] It is a carnivorous species which draws prey who into its large mouth and swallows it whole.[5] The prey is mainly crustaceans. This species is a synchronous hermaphrodite, which means that they have male and female reproductive organs and can take on a male or female role in spawning, or even that self fertilisation is possible. However, they live as monogamous pairs.[2]

Taxonomy

Serranus tigrinus was first formally described in 1790 as Holocentrus tigrinus by the German physician and naturalist Marcus Elieser Bloch (1723–1799) with the type locality given in error as the "Indian Ocean".[6]

Utilisation

Serranus tigrinus is found in the aquarium trade.<ref name =MF>{{cite web | url = https://www.masterfisch.co.uk/serranus-basses/839-harleking-sagebarsch.html | title = Harlequin bass | accessdate = 10 September 2020 | publisher = Masterfisch/>[4]

References
  1. Sadovy, Y.J. (2010). "Serranus tigrinus (errata version published in 2017)". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T154799A115236890. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  2. Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2019). "Serranus tigrinus" in FishBase. December 2019 version.
  3. "Species: Serranus tigrinus, Harlequin bass". Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean online information system. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  4. "Harlequin Bass". liveaquaria.com. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  5. "Harlequin Bass (Serranus tigrinus)". WHATSTHATFISH. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  6. Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Holocentrus tigrinus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
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