Cute fishy

Found this little guy lying in what looks like a bed of tunicates in the sand near Gray's Reef off the Georgia coast. Don't ask why I was only "near" the reef. What is it?

While nowhere near as pretty, its face sorta reminded me of the Mandarin Goby you guys keep getting to go see over yonder.

Kevin

I thought Lantern bass, but the tail markings don't look right. It's some sort of Serranus. Perhaps the male and female have different markings?

Cheers,

Marli

Thanks for the nudge in the right direction, Marli. (Loved your website) Having some fun trying to run it down via Google. Currently looking at Bank Sea Bass - Centropristis ocyurus (maybe a juvenile), Sand Sea Bass - Diplectrum formosum, Rock Sea Bass - Centropristis philadelphica, Spotted Sand Bass - Paralabrax maculatofasciatus, and Belted Sandfish - Serranus subligarius.

http://www.fishecology.org/fads/cynocyt.gif This photo looks to me a lot like the little guys in the background in the attached photo. It is described as a juvenile bank sea bass.

Kevin

Hi Kevin,

I don't really know those cold water soft bottom fish well, but I can tell you for sure that the one in your photo is neither Diplectrum formosum nor Serranus subligarius, I've seen both and they look very different from what is in your photo. I will take a look at my books in the office tomorrow and try to come up with an ID for you.

Luiz

All right, I think it is a Bank Sea Bass (Centropristis ocyurus). Take a look at the pictures at FishBase:

http://fishbase.org/Summary/speciesSummary...iesname=ocyurus

If you click on the photo it will take you to another page with more photos. Let me know if you agree.

Let me know if you agree.

Yep, that's what I concluded in my last post. But, I think it must be a juvenile, because the adult has a pointy, tri-lobed caudal fin. And, these little guys were acting like children. Thanks for the help.

Is that white stuff tunicates?

Kevin

Ran back across this thread whilst looking for something else. Have never made another attempt to dive (or even to "find") Gray's Reef, but have since run across a number of other Bank Sea Bass whilst diving the Blue Heron Bridge - where I seem to dive almost exclusively the last few years. http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=76042652@N00&q=bank%20sea%20bass

Sick pic!