Lantern Bass, Serranus baldwini
Lantern Bass, Serranus baldwini. Fish caught from coastal waters off Broward County, Florida, June 2021. Length: 10.8 cm (4.3 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Ben Cantrell, Sebastian, Florida.
The Lantern Bass, Serranus baldwini, is a member of the Sea Bass or Serranidae Family, and is known in Mexico as serrano linterna. Globally, there are twenty-seven species in the genus Serranus, of which thirteen are found in Mexican waters, ten in the Atlantic and three in the Pacific Ocean.
The Lantern Bass have cylindrical, laterally compressed, elongated bodies. Their body is mottled with orange, black and brown markings and the lower sides have four rectangular black blotches, each with red bar below with a white background. The base of their caudal fin has four black spots in a row and their dorsal fins are tipped in black. Fish from deeper water have a red, orange or yellower hue compared to the paler fish from shallower water. Their head has a short snout with three well-developed spines on the gill cover with the middle one being the longest and straightest. Their anal fin has 3 spines and 7 rays; their caudal fin is slightly concave; their dorsal fin has 10 spines and 11 to 13 rays; their pectoral fins have 13 to 17 spines; their pelvic fins are inserted before the pectoral fins. They have 14 to 18 gill rakers. They are covered with large rough scales.
The Lantern Bass is a shallow waters demersal species that is found associated with reefs in rocky and weedy areas with a strong association with Turtle Grass, Thalassia testudium, beds at depths up to 80 m (260 feet). The juveniles reside utilize empty conch shells for protection. They reach a maximum length of 12 cm (4.7 inches). They feed on shrimp and small fish. Reproduction occurs as synchronous hermaphrodite with pelagic spawning. Each fish having both female and male organs. The older larger fish normally function as males and become highly territorial maintain small harems. The Lantern Bass is poorly studied with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns, including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.
The Lantern Bass is a straightforward identification that might be confused with the Harlequin Bass, Serranus tigrinus (four dark bars on the sides with a wide prominent dark bar at the base of the caudal fin) and the Orangeback Bass, Serranus annularis (two black ringed orange squares behind the eyes.
The Lantern Bass is found in Mexican waters of the Atlantic but has a limited distribution being found from Campeche eastward along the west coast of the Yucatán Peninsula to Belize in the Caribbean.
From a conservation perspective the Lantern Bass is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. They are very common, but due to their small size they are of limited interest to most. Their long-term survival is potentially threatened by the recent introduction of the highly invasive Red Lionfish, Pterois volitans. They are utilized by the aquarium trade and are very attractive, very hardy, and easy to maintain, however, they are are not known to breed in captivity.