Paralabrax is a genus of fishes in the family Serranidae. They are known commonly as rock basses. The nine species in the genus are native to rocky reef habitat in the eastern Pacific and western Atlantic Oceans, where they are often dominant predators in the ecosystem. They are also commercially important in local fisheries.

Serranidae is a large family of fishes belonging to the order Perciformes. The family contains about 450 species in 65 genera, including the sea basses and the groupers. Although many species are small, in some cases less than 10 cm (3.9 in), the giant grouper is one of the largest bony fishes in the world, growing to 2.7 m in length and 400 kg (880 lb) in weight. Representatives of this group live in tropical and subtropical seas worldwide.