TOBACCO BASSLET / SERRANUS TABACARIUS

Body elongate, moderately compressed; snout shorter than eye; rear of top jaw exposed when mouth closed, without accessory bone above it; 3 opercular spines well developed, middle spine straight; preopercle regularly serrated, no spur with enlarged spines; gill rakers 21-25; dorsal fin X,12, central spines enlarged, almost no notch between spiny and soft fins; anal fin III, 7; pelvics inserted before pectoral base; pectoral fin 15; tail bluntly straight edge, 13-15 branched rays; scales very rough, relatively large; 50-52 pored lateral line scales; top of head without scales