Genus: Baldwinella, Bass Grouper, Basses

BALDWINELLA

BASSES

Body an elongate oval, strongly compressed; head bluntly pointed, strongly compressed; eye moderate to large, without fleshy papillae on its border; front and rear nostrils close together, rear edge of front nostril without a filament; mouth strongly oblique, lower jaw projecting, rear of top jaw exposed when mouth closed, without accessory bone above it; tooth patch on center of roof of mouth chevron shaped to triangular, not prolonged at rear; preoperculum serrated, lower corner without forward pointing spines; 36-43 gill rakers; dorsal fin with X,13-16, spines IV-VI longest, longest 10-21% SL, filaments not fused to spine-tips; anal fin III, 7-9; pectorals 15-21; pelvic inserted slightly before base of pectoral; tail strongly concave, lobe tips with filaments; scales, rough, 36-53 on lateral line, 22-29 around tail base; top jaw, snout, between eyes, and throat without scales; scales without accessory scales; lateral line complete.

A neotropical genus with four species; three are Greater Caribbean endemics.