SERRANIDAE
SEABASSES
Harlequin Bass
Serranus tigrinus
    Ecological Descriptors
Habitat Size Diet Behaviour Sex 
S, R, Co 12.5+ Cru Pr/ I SH
 
 
Description:
Upper body with whitish undercolour, lower body yellowish.
Dark, tiger-like bars. Series of dark spots on flank form diffuse horizontal lines. Dark horizontal line through eyes. Pointed head.

Ecology
Found alone or in pairs in clear waters by areas with rock or scattered coral, at depths from 0-  40 m depth.  Its diet consists mostly of crustaceans. Diurnal in activity.

Life Cycle
Simultanious (synchronous) hermaphrodites. Has both female and male reproductive organs as in an ovary and testis. One individual will lay the eggs while the other fertilises them during mating, then they will switch roles allowing fertilisation to take place again. Doesn't self-fertilise. Displays facultative monogamy where males are constrained to mate with a single female due to resource limitation. Pelagic spawner.



Harlequin Bass
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