Serranidae

The Serranidae or serranids are a family of fish, belonging to the order Perciformes.

There are many species of serranids, including the sea basses and the groupers (subfamily Epinephelinae). They range in size from the belted sandfish (Serranus subligarius) which grows to 4.5 in (110 mm) up to the itajara (Epinephelus itajara) which grows to 7 ft 10 in (2.4 m) and weighs up to 680 lb (300 kg).

Many of these species are brightly colored, and many are caught commercially for food. They are usually found over reefs, in tropical to sub-tropical waters along the coasts. Many species are sequential hermaphrodites, starting out as males and changing sex to female later in life. They produce large quantities of eggs and their larvae are planktonic, generally at the mercy of ocean currents until they are ready to settle into adult populations.

Examples

• Black sea bass Centropristis striata
• Black grouper Mycteroperca bonaci