Serranidae

The **Serranidae** are a large family of perciform fishes that have 450 species in 65 genera. They are usually found in coral reefs in tropical waters. Some of the notable ones are groupers and the highly popular anthias. There are also some extinct ones; _Blabe_ and _Palaeoperca_. _Blabe_ probably belongs to this family.

### Characteristics

They are known for being colorful and are caught for food. They are mostly carnivorous, usually as ambush predators. Species of this family usually have canine-shaped teeth.

### What they eat

Some species, especially groupers, eat other fishes, crustaceans (e.g., crabs, shrimps), and squids. Some anthias feed on zooplankton.

## Classification

These are the subfamilies and genera:

- Subfamily Anthiinae <small>Poey, 1861</small>
    - _Acanthistius_ <small>Gill, 1862</small>
    - _Anatolanthias_ <small>Anderson, Parin & Randall, 1990</small>
    - _Anthias_ <small>Bloch, 1792</small>
    - _Baldwinella_  <small>Anderson & Heemstra, 2012</small>
    - _Caesioperca_ <small>Castelnau, 1872</small>
    - _Caprodon_ <small>Temminck & Schlegel, 1843</small>
    - _Choranthias_ <small>Anderson & Heemstra, 2012</small>
    - _Dactylanthias_ <small>Bleeker, 1871</small>
    - _Epinephelides_ <small>Ogilby, 1899</small>
    - _Giganthias_ <small>Katayama, 1954</small>
    - _Hemanthias_ <small>Steindachner, 1875</small>
    - _Holanthias_ <small>Günther 1868</small>
    - _Hypoplectrodes_ <small>Gill, 1862</small>
    - _Lepidoperca_ <small>Regan, 1914</small>
    - _Luzonichthys_ <small>Herre, 1936</small>
    - _Meganthias_ <small>Randall & Heemstra, 2006</small>
    - _Nemanthias_ <small>J.L.B. Smith, 1954</small>
    - _Odontanthias_ <small>Bleeker, 1873</small>
    - _Othos_ <small>Castelnau, 1875</small>
    - _Plectranthias_ <small>Bleeker, 1873</small>
    - _Pronotogrammus_ <small>Gill, 1863</small>
    - _Pseudanthias_ <small>Bleeker, 1871</small>
    - _Rabaulichthys_ <small>Allen, 1984</small>
    - _Sacura_ <small>D.S. Jordan & Richardson, 1910</small>
    - _Selenanthias_ <small>Tanaka, 1918</small>
    - _Serranocirrhitus_ <small>Watanabe, 1949</small>
    - _Tosana_  <small>H.M. Smith & Pope, 1906</small>
    - _Tosanoides_ <small>Kamohara, 1953</small>
    - _Trachypoma_ <small>Günther, 1859</small>
- Subfamily Epinephelinae <small>Bleeker, 1874</small> (groupers)
    - Tribe Niphonini <small>D.S. Jordan, 1923</small>
        - _Niphon_ <small>Cuvier, 1828</small>
    - Tribe Epinephelini <small>Bleeker, 1874</small>
        - _Aethaloperca_ <small>Fowler, 1904</small>
        - _Alphestes_ <small>Bloch & Schneider, 1801</small>
        - _Anyperodon_ <small>Günther, 1859</small>
        - _Cephalopholis_ <small>Bloch & Schneider, 1801</small>
        - _Chromileptes_ <small>Swainson, 1839</small>
        - _Dermatolepis_ <small>Gill, 1861</small>
        - _Epinephelus_ <small>Bloch, 1793</small>
        - _Gonioplectrus_ <small>Gill, 1862</small>
        - _Gracila_ <small>Randall, 1964</small>
        - _Hyporthodus_ <small>Gill, 1861</small>
        - _Mycteroperca_ <small>Gill, 1862</small>
        - _Paranthias_ <small>Guichenot, 1868</small>
        - _Plectropomus_ <small>Pken, 1817</small>
        - _Saloptia_ <small>J.L.B. Smith, 1964</small>
        - _Triso_ <small>Randall, Johnson & Lowe, 1989</small>
        - _Variola_ <small>Swainson, 1839</small>
    - Tribe Diploprionini <small>Bleeker, 1874</small>
        - _Aulacocephalus_ <small>Temminck & Schlegel, 1843</small>
        - _Belonoperca_ <small>Fowler & B.A. Bean, 1930</small>
        - _Diploprion_ <small>Cuvier, 1828</small>
    - Tribe Liopropomini <small>Poey, 1867</small>
        - _Bathyanthias_ <small>Günther, 1880</small>
        - _Liopropoma_ <small>Gill, 1861</small>
        - _Rainfordia_ <small>McCulloch, 1923</small>
    - Tribe Grammistini <small>Bleeker, 1857</small>
        - _Aporops_ <small>Schultz, 1943</small>
        - _Grammistes_ <small>Bloch & Schneider, 1801</small>
        - _Grammistops_ <small>Schultz 1953</small>
        - _Jeboehlkia_ <small>Robins, 1967</small>
        - _Pogonoperca_ <small>Günther 1859</small>
        - _Pseudogramma_ <small>Bleeker, 1875</small>
        - _Rypticus_ <small>Cuvier, 1829</small>
        - _Suttonia_ <small>J.L.B. Smith, 1953</small>
- Subfamily Serraninae <small>Swainson, 1839</small>
    - _Bullisichthys_ <small>Rivas, 1971</small>
    - _Centropristis_ <small>Cuvier, 1829</small>
    - _Chelidoperca_ <small>Boulenger, 1895</small> (perchlets)
    - _Cratinus_ <small>Steindachner, 1878</small>
    - _Diplectrum_ <small>Holbrook, 1855</small>
    - _Hypoplectrus_ <small>Gill, 1861</small>
    - _Paralabrax_ <small>Girard, 1856</small>
    - _Parasphyraenops_ <small>T.H. Bean, 1912</small>
    - _Schultzea_ <small>Woods, 1958</small>
    - _Serraniculus_ <small>Ginsburg, 1952</small>
    - _Serranus_ <small>Cuvier, 1816</small>
- _incertae sedis_
    - ?†_Blabe_ <small>White, 1936</small> (Eocene, Egypt)
    - _Caesioscorpis_ <small>Whitley, 1945</small>
    - _Hemilutjanus_ <small>Bleeker, 1876</small>
    - †_Palaeoperca_ <small>Micklich, 1978</small> (Eocene, Germany)

### Anthiinae

Some species of the subfamily Anthiinae are the yellowbanded perch, _Anthias anthias_, and _Tosanoides flavofasciatus_.

### Epinephelinae

Some species of the subfamily Epinephelinae are the blacktip grouper, _Epinephelus bleekeri_, and the giant grouper.

## Related pages

- Palaeoperca – another extinct genus of serranid

## References

1. <small>Anderson, W.D. Jr.; Heemstra, P.C. (2012). "Review of Atlantic and Eastern Pacific Anthiine Fishes (Teleostei: Perciformes: Serranidae), with Descriptions of Two New Genera". _Transactions of the American Philosophical Society_. **102** (2): 1–173.</small>