Serranidae

The Serranidae are a large family of perciform fishes that have 450 species in 65 genera. They are usually found in coral reefs in tropical waters. Some of the notable ones are groupers and the highly popular anthias. There are also some extinct ones; Blabe and Palaeoperca. Blabe probably belongs to this family.

Description

Characteristics

They are known for being colorful and are caught for food. They are mostly carnivorous, usually as ambush predators. Species of this family usually have canine-shaped teeth.

What they eat

Some species, especially groupers, eat other fishes, crustaceans (e.g., crabs, shrimps), and squids. Some anthias feed on zooplankton.

Classification

Painted comber, Serranus scriba

These are the subfamilies and genera:

Subfamily Anthiinae Poey, 1861
- Acanthistius Gill, 1862
- Anatolanthias Anderson, Parin & Randall, 1990
- Anthias Bloch, 1792
- Baldwinella Anderson & Heemstra, 2012
- Caesioperca Castelnau, 1872
- Caprodon Temminck & Schlegel, 1843
- Choranthias Anderson & Heemstra, 2012
- Dactylanthias Bleeker, 1871
- Epinephelides Ogilby, 1899
- Giganthias Katayama, 1954
- Hemanthias Steindachner, 1875
- Holanthias Günther 1868
- Hypoplectrodes Gill, 1862
- Lepidoperca Regan, 1914
- Luzonichthys Herre, 1936
- Meganthias Randall & Heemstra, 2006
- Nemanthias J.L.B. Smith, 1954
- Odontanthias Bleeker, 1873
- Othos Castelnau, 1875
- Plectranthias Bleeker, 1873
- Pronotogrammus Gill, 1863
- Pseudanthias Bleeker, 1871
- Rabaulichthys Allen, 1984
- Sacura D.S. Jordan & Richardson, 1910
- Selenanthias Tanaka, 1918
- Serranocirrhitus Watanabe, 1949
- Tosana H.M. Smith & Pope, 1906
- Tosanoides Kamohara, 1953
- Trachypoma Günther, 1859
Subfamily Epinephelinae Bleeker, 1874 (groupers)
- Tribe Niphonini D.S. Jordan, 1923
  - Niphon Cuvier, 1828
- Tribe Epinephelini Bleeker, 1874
  - Aethaloperca Fowler, 1904
  - Alphestes Bloch & Schneider, 1801
  - Anyperodon Günther, 1859
  - Cephalopholis Bloch & Schneider, 1801
  - Chromileptes Swainson, 1839
  - Dermatolepis Gill, 1861
  - Epinephelus Bloch, 1793
  - Gonioplectrus Gill, 1862
  - Gracila Randall, 1964
  - Hyporthodus Gill, 1861
  - Mycteroperca Gill, 1862
  - Paranthias Guichenot, 1868
  - Plectropomus Pken, 1817
  - Saloptia J.L.B. Smith, 1964
  - Triso Randall, Johnson & Lowe, 1989
  - Variola Swainson, 1839
- Tribe Diploprionini Bleeker, 1874
  - Aulacocephalus Temminck & Schlegel, 1843
  - Belonoperca Fowler & B.A. Bean, 1930
  - Diploprion Cuvier, 1828
- Tribe Liopropomini Poey, 1867
  - Bathyanthias Günther, 1880
  - Liopropoma Gill, 1861
  - Rainfordia McCulloch, 1923
- Tribe Grammistini Bleeker, 1857
  - Aporops Schultz, 1943
  - Grammistes Bloch & Schneider, 1801
  - Grammistops Schultz 1953
  - Jeboehlkia Robins, 1967
  - Pogonoperca Günther 1859
  - Pseudogramma Bleeker, 1875
  - Rypticus Cuvier, 1829
  - Suttonia J.L.B. Smith, 1953
Subfamily Serraninae Swainson, 1839
- Bullisichthys Rivas, 1971
- Centropristis Cuvier, 1829
- Chelidoperca Boulenger, 1895 (perchlets)
- Cratinus Steindachner, 1878
- Diplectrum Holbrook, 1855
- Hypoplectrus Gill, 1861
- Paralabrax Girard, 1856
- Parasphyraenops T.H. Bean, 1912
- Schultzea Woods, 1958
- Serraniculus Ginsburg, 1952
- Serranus Cuvier, 1816
incertae sedis
- ?†Blabe White, 1936 (Eocene, Egypt)
- Caesioscorpis Whitley, 1945
- Hemilutjanus Bleeker, 1876
- †Palaeoperca Micklich, 1978 (Eocene, Germany)

Blacktip grouper, Epinephelus fasciatus

Some species

Anthiinae

Some species of the subfamily Anthiinae are the yellowbanded perch, Anthias anthias, and Tosanoides flavofasciatus.

Epinephelinae

Some species of the subfamily Epinephelinae are the blacktip grouper, Epinephelus bleekeri, and the giant grouper.

Image gallery

Breaksea cod, Epinephelides armatus

Comber, Serranus cabrilla

Related pages

Palaeoperca – another extinct genus of serranid

References

Anderson, W.D. Jr.; Heemstra, P.C. (2012). "Review of Atlantic and Eastern Pacific Anthiine Fishes (Teleostei: Perciformes: Serranidae), with Descriptions of Two New Genera". Transactions of the American Philosophical Society. 102 (2): 1–173.