Serranus (Paracentropristis) hepatus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Iwamoto, Tomio & Wirtz, Peter, 2018, A Synopsis of the Eastern and Central Atlantic Combers of the Genus Serranus (Teleostei: Scorpaeniformes: Serranidae), Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 65 (1), pp. 1-39 : 13-15

Serranus (Paracentropristis) hepatus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Figures 9–10

Labrus Hepatus Linnaeus, 1758:282 (Mediterranean).

Holocentrus siagonotus Delaroche, 1809:66 , fig. 8 (Balearic Islands).

Serranus hepatus : Risso 1826:377. Dalgiç et al. 2013 (Black Sea off Rurkey), Apostolos 2014:142 (Black Sea, off Bulgaria)

Holocentrus adriaticus Nardo, 1827 (Adriatic).

Centropristis hepatus : Günther 1859:84 (Mediterranean).

Paracentropristis hepatus : Jordan and Evermann 1890:395. Fowler 1936:765, fig. 337.

DIAGNOSIS.— D X,11–13; P 13–15, usually 14; A III,6 or 7; gill rakers 6–7+14–15(19–23 total); pored lateral-line scales 44–52; circumpeduncular scales 23–26; scales below origin of first dorsal fin 6–8. Rim of anterior nostril elevated posteriorly forming a narrow flap bearing 1–4 fingerlike cirri at tip. Caudal fin emarginate, upper and lower lobes about equal. Interradial membranes of dorsal and anal fins scaled on basal one-half to one-third. Nape, interorbital, opercle (except outer margin), preopercle, interopercle, pectoral-fin base, and chest scaled. A prominent, ocellated black oval spot anteriorly on soft dorsal fin; pelvic fins black.

DESCRIPTION.— Body compressed, width across pectoral fin base about 2 in HL; greatest body depth about 2.8–3.0 in SL; head about 2.5– 2.6 in SL. Dorsal profile from tip of snout to dorsal fin almost straight, thereafter broadly curved to caudal peduncle where it levels off; ventral profile moderately inclined from lower jaw to chest, leveling off on belly to origin of anal fin, then gently rising to caudal fin. Snout about equal in length to diameter of orbit; interorbital width (fleshy) slightly less than orbit diameter; lower jaw projecting slightly beyond upper jaw; maxilla extending to below midorbit. Anterior nostril with raised rim, posteriorly becoming a narrow flap with 2–4 small fingerlike cirri or papillae at tip. Opercular spines three, the uppermost poorly developed and obscure, middle spine long and flat, the lowermost much smaller but evident. Preopercle margin serrated with flattened spines, those at angle largest.

Premaxillary teeth in narrow band, the outer series spaced and slightly enlarged with one or more large canines at anterior end where tooth band is broadest. Dentary teeth in band, with a spaced series of slightly enlarged outer teeth flanking small inner series in band, and largest teeth posteriorly in an irregular series. Vomerine teeth in broadly V-shaped band; a narrow band of small palatine teeth following close behind each end of vomerine band.

Small scales cover most of head (including interorbital space and fully scaled interopercle), body, and basal parts of all fins, but not snout, suborbital, jaws, gular and branchiostegal membranes, and free margin of preopercle, which are naked.

First 4–6 spines of dorsal fin graduated, the 6 th through 8 th spines usually longest, the spines following subequal; the soft rays about equal to or slightly higher than longest spines. Anal-fin rounded posteriorly; its spines much shorter than soft rays, the first spine somewhat more than half length of second and third spines, the anterior and middle soft rays longest. Pectoral fin broad-based, its origin about on same vertical as that of pelvic and dorsal fins; the pectoral and pelvic fins falling far short of anus. Caudal fin slightly emarginate.

Color ( Figs. 9 , 10 ) brownish-yellow or silvery with four or five prominent dark vertical bands; band below soft dorsal fin broadest and darkest, bifurcating dorsally to surround elongated black ocellus on soft dorsal fin, band ventrally entering basal half of anal fin. Band on nape often obscure; a small dark spot often present on caudal peduncle. Three or four narrow copper, gold, or brownish diagonal streaks on cheeks; the lowermost streak running from tip of snout to below orbit to lower corner of gill cover. Soft dorsal and caudal fins pale orange, peppered with small white spots. Pectoral fin clear. Pelvic fins black, sometimes with pale to white base and leading edge. Basal half of anal fin black, distal half dusky to clear.

Size: To about 25 cm TL.

HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION.— Over seagrass, sand, mud, and rocks from coast to about 100 m. Portugal to Senegal; also Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea .

REMARKS.— Meisler (1987:163) reported that the nasal flap is simple, but we found one to four fingerlike cirri on the nasal flap of our larger specimens from CAS 20741; the small specimens from USNM 198923 showed little development of cirri.

SPECIMENS EXAMINED (10 spec.).— Mediterranean Sea : CAS-SU 20741 (6, 53.8–88. 8 mm SL); Italy; Naples; collector E.C. Starks. USNM 198923 (4, 35.4–38.0 mm SL), Lebanon, Antelias; coll. C. J. George, 10 July 1963 .

Figures

FIGURE 9. Serranus hepatus. From near Portimao, Algarve, Portugal. Photograph by Nuno Vasco Rodrigues.

FIGURE10. Serranus hepatus from Croatia, Adriatic Sea. Photo by Robert A. Patzner.