Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 5, 2026

Serranus

Serranus is a genus of fish in the family Serranidae. It is one of five genera known commonly as the "Atlantic dwarf sea basses". These fish are hermaphrodites, each individual possessing functional male and female reproductive tissues. When a pair spawns, one fish acts as a male and the other acts as a female.

Last revised
Jun 5, 2026
Read time
≈ 2 min
Length
517 w
Citations
8
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Serranus
Temporal range: Thanetian to Present 1
Serranus baldwini
Serranus cabrilla
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Serranidae
Genus: Serranus
G. Cuvier, 1816
Type species
Perca cabrilla
Synonyms2

Serranus is a genus of fish in the family Serranidae.3 It is one of five genera known commonly as the "Atlantic dwarf sea basses".4 These fish are hermaphrodites, each individual possessing functional male and female reproductive tissues. When a pair spawns, one fish acts as a male and the other acts as a female.5

Species

There are currently 34 recognized species in this genus:6

  • Serranus accraensis (Norman, 1931) (Ghanean comber)
  • Serranus aequidens C. H. Gilbert, 1890 (Deep-water bass)
  • Serranus aliceae Carvalho-Filho & C. E. L. Ferreira, 2013 4
  • Serranus annularis (Günther, 1880) (Orange-back bass)
  • Serranus atricauda Günther, 1874 (Blacktail comber)
  • Serranus atrobranchus (Cuvier, 1829) (Black-ear bass)
  • Serranus baldwini (Evermann & Marsh, 1899) (Lantern bass)
  • Serranus cabrilla (Linnaeus, 1758) (Comber)
  • Serranus chionaraia C. R. Robins & Starck, 1961 (Snow bass)
  • Serranus drewesi Iwamoto, 2018 (Drewes' bass)
  • Serranus flaviventris (Cuvier, 1829) (Twin-spot bass)
  • Serranus fusculus (Poey, 1861) (twospot sea bass)
  • Serranus hepatus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Brown comber)
  • Serranus heterurus (Cadenat, 1937)
  • Serranus huascarii Steindachner, 1900 (Flag bass)
  • Serranus inexpectatus Wirtz & Iwamoto, 2018
  • Serranus knysnaensis Gilchrist, 1904
  • Serranus luciopercanus Poey, 1852 (Cross-hatch bass)
  • Serranus maytagi C. R. Robins & Starck, 1961
  • Serranus notospilus Longley, 1935 (Saddle bass)
  • Serranus novemcinctus Kner, 1864 (Barred bass)
  • Serranus papilionaceus Valenciennes, 1832
  • Serranus phoebe Poey, 1851
  • Serranus psittacinus Valenciennes, 1846 (Barred comber)
  • Serranus pulcher Wirtz & Iwamoto, 2016 (São Tomé comber) 7
  • Serranus sanctaehelenae Boulenger, 1895 (St. Helena comber)
  • Serranus scriba (Linnaeus, 1758) (Painted comber)
  • Serranus socorroensis G. R. Allen & D. R. Robertson, 1992 (Socorro bass)
  • Serranus stilbostigma (D. S. Jordan & Bollman, 1890)
  • Serranus subligarius (Cope, 1870) (Belted bass)
  • Serranus tabacarius (Cuvier, 1829) (Tobaccofish)
  • Serranus tico G. R. Allen & D. R. Robertson, 1998
  • Serranus tigrinus (Bloch, 1790) (Harlequin bass)
  • Serranus tortugarum Longley, 1935 (Chalk bass)
References

References

  1. Sepkoski, J.J.Jr (2002). "A Compendium of Fossil Marine Animal Genera". Bulletins of American Paleontology. 363: 1–560.
  2. Fricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Serraninae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  3. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Serranus". FishBase. August 2022 version.
  4. Carvalho Filho, A.; Ferreira, C.E.L. (2013). "A new species of dwarf sea bass, genus Serranus (Serranidae: Actinopterygii), from the southwestern Atlantic Ocean". Neotropical Ichthyology. 11 (4): 809–814. doi:10.1590/s1679-62252013000400008.
  5. García-Díaz, M.; González, J.A.; Lorente, M.J.; Tuset, V.M. (2006). "Spawning season, maturity sizes, and fecundity in blacktail comber (Serranus atricauda) (Serranidae) from the eastern-central Atlantic" (PDF). Fishery Bulletin. 104 (2): 159–166.
  6. Fricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Serranus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 27 November 2025.
  7. Wirtz, P.; Iwamoto, T. (2016). "A New Species of Serranus from São Tomé and Príncipe, Eastern Atlantic (Pisces, Teleostei, Serranidae)". Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences. 63 (6): 191–200.