Painted comber
| Painted comber | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Painted comber (Serranus scriba) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Serranidae |
| Genus: | Serranus |
| Species: | S. scriba |
| Binomial name | |
| Serranus scriba (Linnaeus, 1758) | |
The painted comber (Serranus scriba) is a subtropical marine fish, classified in family Serranidae, the groupers and sea basses. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Black Sea. Confusingly, a synonym of this species is Perca marina, but that name (as Sebastes marinus) has incorrectly been used for a separate species, the rose fish.
Description
The painted comber is orange to red in color with bluish to brown vertical stripes. It grows to a length of 28 centimetres (11 in)
Habitat and feeding
Serranus scriba spends much of its time in rocky caves. It is usually solitary or in small groups. It comes out of hiding around dusk to feed on various crustaceans, fishes, and worms. [1]
Reproduction
These fish are hermaphrodites and can fertilize themselves. Spawning is seasonal and controlled by the moon's phase. [2]
Human use
The painted comber has minor commercial value, and, much like other species of Serranus, is considered to have tasty flesh.
References
- Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2007). "Serranus scriba" in FishBase. 04 2007 version.
- "Serranus scriba". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved June 3, 2007.