Fin's Fish Guide
The Channos (Serranus cabrilla) is a saltwater fish of the family Serranidae that grows up to 40 cm.
Eastern Atlantic from the English Channel to South Africa, including the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands, the Mediterranean Sea and the western Black Sea.
Description
The comber is a slender bottom-dwelling bass of the family Serranidae reaching about 40 cm. The brownish body carries seven to nine dark cross-bars, with orange and blue lines on the head. The species is notable as a simultaneous hermaphrodite: each individual has functional male and female organs at once and can, in extremis, fertilise itself. It lives on rock, Posidonia and sand bottoms of the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean at depths of 5 to 500 m, hunting fish, cephalopods and crustaceans. The comber is a valued food fish taken largely as bycatch in coastal fisheries.
Frequently asked questions
How do you recognise the Channos?
The Channos has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly brown and shows a vertical stripes pattern. Slender perch with seven to nine dark vertical bars and orange and blue lines on the head; one of the few vertebrates that can fertilise itself as a simultaneous hermaphrodite.
Where does the Channos live?
The Channos lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom. Eastern Atlantic from the English Channel to South Africa, including the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands, the Mediterranean Sea and the western Black Sea.
How big does the Channos get?
The Channos grows to a maximum of about 40 cm. On average the species is around 25 cm.
Is the Channos dangerous to humans?
No, the Channos is harmless to humans. None required: this species is harmless to humans.
Is the Channos edible?
Yes, the Channos is commonly eaten.
More photos
Easily confused with
These species look like the Channos and live in the same waters.
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All data
Identification
Appearance
Habitat & distribution
Behaviour & biology
For anglers
Safety
Status & sources
Same genus Serranus
More from the family Serranidae
Want the complete picture on the Channos?
Point your camera at the fish and Fin names the species in seconds. Free, and the Channos is one of 12,519 species in the app.