Lantern bass
(Serranus baldwini)

Serranus baldwini, the lantern bass, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sea bass from the subfamily Serraninae, classified as part of the family Serranidae which includes the groupers and anthias. It is found in the western Atlantic Ocean. The lantern bass is found in the aquarium trade.

Serranus baldwini has a cylindrical and elongated body, which is laterally compressed to a moderate extent and has a snout which has a length which is shorter than the diameter of the eye.

There are 3 well-developed spines on the gill cover, with the middle spine being the largest and straightest. The preopercle has a regularly serrated edge. The dorsal fin contains 10 spines and 11-13 soft rays, while the anal fin has 3 spines and 7 soft rays. The caudal fin is slightly concave.

The body is white broken by lines of dark to orange oblong-shaped blotches and spot. There is a noticeable row of dark, oblong blotches along the lower flank. There is a further row of 4 black spots on the caudal peduncle.

Fish from deeper water have a red, orange or yellower hue compared to the paler fish from shallower water. This species attains a maximum total length of 12 centimetres (4.7 in).

Serranus baldwini is found in the western Atlantic Ocean where it ranges from Jacksonville, Florida southwards along the Florida coast and around the Bahamas. Its range extends into the Gulf of Mexico including the Florida Keys and northwards. It is also found along the Mexican coast from Campeche and on the northern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula and from northwestern Cuba throughout the Caribbean, and along the coast of Central America and South America as far south as Sao Paulo in Brazil.