Sea Bass Fish

Sea bass are rather perchlike fish. The more or less elongated body has small scales, the mouth is large, and the tail is generally straight-edged or rounded. The dorsal fin, a diagnostic feature, consists of a forward, spiny section and a hinder, soft-rayed section; the two portions are usually joined but may be separated by a notch.Sea bass are carnivorous, feeding on fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and other invertebrates. Some are active swimmers; others, such as the groupers, are more sedentary. Certain species, such as the belted sandfish (Serranellus subligarius) of Florida, are hermaphroditic (male and female reproductive organs in one animal). Others, such as the groupers, may mature as one sex and later change to the other.

Sea basses vary widely in size, from a few centimetres to a maximum of 2 metres (6 feet) and 225 kg (500 pounds) in such species as the goliath grouper (Epinephelus itajara) and 2.7 metres (9 feet) and 400 kg (900 pounds) in the giant grouper (E. lanceolatus). Colour also varies, both among and within species. Some sea basses, for example, are able to change to any of several colour patterns. In other species the young may be patterned differently from the adults, and in still others individuals inhabiting deeper waters may be considerably redder than those of the same species living near shore.