Painted comber (Serranus scriba)

Scientific name: Serranus scriba Linnaeus, 1758

The Painted comber (Serranus scriba) is a marine fish of the family Serranidae. Native range: Eastern Atlantic, Bay of Biscay to Mauritania, including the Canary, Azores and Madeira islands. Also from the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.

Biology

Found on rocky bottom and on Posidonia beds. Feed on fishes and crustaceans.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Serranus scriba
Family: Serranidae (Sea basses: groupers and fairy basslets)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 36.0
Common length: 25.0
Depth range: 5–150 m (16–492 ft)
Environment: Marine; demersal; depth range 5 - 150 m
Climate: Subtropical
Distribution: Eastern Atlantic: Bay of Biscay to Mauritania, including the Canary, Azores and Madeira islands. Also from the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience: Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.22-0.24)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Last updated 27 September 2026