Species: Serranus maytagi, Pallid Bass

Serranus maytagi Robins & Stark, 1961

Pallid Bass

Body elongate, moderately compressed; snout shorter than eye; eye very large (33-40% head length); rear of top jaw exposed when mouth closed, without accessory bone above it; 3 opercular spines, top one rudimentary, middle spine largest; preopercle regularly serrated, no spur with enlarged spines; gill rakers 19-23; dorsal fin X,12; anal fin III, 7; pelvics inserted before pectoral base; pectoral fin 15-16; tail fin slightly forked; scales very rough, relatively large, 6-7 rows of scales on cheek; 45-50 pored lateral line scales; top of head with scales to level of rear edge of pupil.

Adult: pale whitish tan; iris yellow; 3 faint yellowish bars on body, under center and end of spiny dorsal, and under middle of soft dorsal; a white bar on side of belly between the front 2 yellow bars; there may also be yellow marks on shoulder, center of tail-fin base and under eye; median fins white, outer edge of front of spiny dorsal yellow, top and bottom edges of tail fin yellowish. Juvenile (preserved) pale; edge of first three dorsal spines black, a faint bar from the base of dorsal spines V-VI to the belly, a small dark spot on mid-flank under center of soft dorsal.

Reaches 11.5 cm.

On deep soft bottoms.

Depth range: 185-275 m.

E Gulf of Mexico to the SE Caribbean.