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Bank sea bass (Centropristis ocyurus) — Serranidae

Bank sea bass

Centropristis ocyurus
Family: Serranidae
LC · Least Concern

The Bank sea bass (Centropristis ocyurus) is a saltwater fish of the family Serranidae that grows up to 30 cm.

Length
30 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
11.0–101.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Small groups
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The bank sea bass is a small sea bass of the family Serranidae reaching about 30 cm. The stocky, brownish body has faint dark crossbars and yellow and bluish tints, with a stoutly spined dorsal fin. The species lives over hard bottoms, reefs and wrecks of the continental shelf in the western Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. On the bottom it hunts crustaceans, small fish, molluscs and worms. Like many sea basses it is a protogynous hermaphrodite: most individuals begin as females and later change into males. It is a tasty panfish caught mainly as bycatch of larger sea basses.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Bank sea bass?

The Bank sea bass has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly brown and shows a vertical stripes pattern.

Where does the Bank sea bass live?

The Bank sea bass lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around stony or rocky ground.

How big does the Bank sea bass get?

The Bank sea bass grows to a maximum of about 30 cm.

Is the Bank sea bass dangerous to humans?

No, the Bank sea bass is harmless to humans.

Is the Bank sea bass edible?

Yes, the Bank sea bass is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Bankzeebaars inferred
English name
Bank sea bass verified
Scientific name
Centropristis ocyurus
Family
Serranidae
Other names
Sea bass verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
30.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Brown sourced
Pattern
Vertical bars sourced
Tail shape
Rounded inferred
Mouth position
Terminal inferred
Lips
Thick / fleshy inferred
Barbels
No verified
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
Yes verified

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater verified
Substrate
Stone or rock verified
Min depth (m)
11.0 verified
Max depth (m)
101.0 verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore verified
Social behaviour
Small groups verified
Territorial
No verified
Activity
Diurnal inferred
Reproduction
Protogynous (female first) verified
Sexual dimorphism
No verified

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten verified
Fishing method
Bodemvissen met aas of kunstaas boven riffen en wrakken; een smakelijke panvis als bijvangst van zeebaars sourced
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Centropristis

More from the family Serranidae

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