Harlequin bass
Serranus tigrinus
(Bloch, 1790)
Description:
Body cylindrical and elongated, with a long and pointed snout. The upper body has a whitish undercolor, the lower body pale yellow. Black bars and diffuse lines form irregular rectangles on the body.
Size up to 29 cm.
Habitat:
Most common in areas with rock or scattered coral, down to 40 m. Solitary or in pairs. Feeds mainly upon crustaceans. Synchronously hermaphroditic.
Distribution:
Common South Florida, Bahamas and Caribbean.