Brown comber
Serranus hepatus
Special features
The Brown comber is a hermaphrodite. This means that he developed both male and female sex organs at the same time.
Appearance
You can easily recognize the Brown comber by its physical fullness: It is much less flattened laterally than other fish and is slightly high-backed.
Its base coloring is a dirty white with four to five thick brown horizontal stripes.
The back bands are often darker than the front bands. Its dorsal fin is serrated; when it wears its fin upright, it makes it look like a punk.
It also has a characteristically dark spot at the back.
The ventral fins are also dark, while all other fins are transparent.
Natural enemies
Large, predatory fish such as sharks.
Dangerous/Venomous
The bagfish is neither dangerous nor venomous.
1. Black spot in the middle of the dorsal fin
2. 4-5 dark horizontal stripes along the body
Pro tips
The Brown comber is a carnivore that feeds primarily on crabs.
He searches for them in seaweed, sand, mud, and on rocks.
Since the Brown comber is a hermaphrodite, it can choose whether to release eggs or sperm during the mating season.
He cannot deliver both at the same time, otherwise he would also fertilize himself.
The free-floating planktonic larvae then drift around with ocean currents until they find a suitable place to live.
Text: Carolina Leiter, Felician Hosp, Pia Balaka
Pic: Dive Dict
Illustration: Dive Dict
