Moronidae and Serranidae1

Family Moronidae

• Temperate Basses• Local species:

o Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis)

o Wreckfish (Polyprion americanus)

Morone saxatilis

Moronidae and Serranidae2

Moronidae Characteristics

• Easily distinguished by two spines on the operculumo Body compressed laterally, large mouth

and ctenoid scaleso Tail is usually deeply forked, never

hermaphrodites

• Commonly broken into 2 different families: Moronidae and Acropomatidae

Moronidae and Serranidae3

Striped Bass

• Anadromous specieso A large percentage of the eastern U.S.

population depends on the Chesapeake water shed for spawning

Moronidae and Serranidae4

Striped Bass released in the Cape Fear

Moronidae and Serranidae5

Wreckfish

• Commercially importanto Found on both

sides of the Atlantic

Moronidae and Serranidae6

Family Serranidae

• Sea Basses• Common species:

o Scamp (Mycteroperca phenax)

o Gag (Mycteroperca microlepis)

o Black Sea Bass (Centropristis striata)

o Warsaw Grouper (Epinephelus nigritus)

Moronidae and Serranidae7

Serranidae Characteristics

• Large piscivores that associate with temperate and tropical reefs

• Important food fisho Top predators

may be ciguatoxic

• Distinguished by:o Large mouth and

a heavy heado 3 spines on the

operculumo 3 spines in the

anal fin o Usually

hermaphroditic

Moronidae and Serranidae8

Ciguatera

• Condition caused by the ingestion of toxic fish flesho Symptoms

• Causative organism is a dinoflagellate called Gambierdiscus toxicus which can bloom in high numbers

Moronidae and Serranidae9

So are you a guy or a girl?

• Sequential hermaphroditeo Sex change

occurs:o Females - Males

Protogyny or protogynous

o Males - Females Protandrous or protandry

• Simultaneous hermaphroditeo Contains both

ovaries and testes

Moronidae and Serranidae10

Serranidae

Black Sea Bass (Centropristis striata)

Moronidae and Serranidae11

Serranidae

Gag (Mycteroperca microlepis)

Adult

Juvenile

Moronidae and Serranidae12

Serranidae

Scamp (Mycteroperca phenax)

Adult

Juvenile

Moronidae and Serranidae13

Serranidae

Sand Perch (Diplectrum formosum)