Sea Basses

Distribution: Tropical and temperate oceans. Some enter freshwater. Operculum bearing 3 spines - a main spine with one below and one above it. Lateral line complete and continuous, not reaching onto caudal fin (lacking in one species). Dorsal fin may be notched, with 7-12 spines. Three spines on anal fin. Caudal fin usually rounded, truncate, or lunate; rarely forked. Tip of maxilla exposed even with mouth closed. No scaly axillary pelvic process. One spine on pelvic fin; soft rays 5. Branchiostegal rays usually 7. Vertebrae 24-26. Monoecious with some functional hermaphrodites; groupers are protogynous hermaphrodites. Groupers attain up to 3 m maximum length and weights of up to 400 kg. They are bottom-dwelling predators and highly commercial food fish.