Tilefish

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Blue blanquillo, Malacanthus latovittatus

Tilefishes or sand tilefishes are mostly small percomorph marine fish comprising the family Malacanthidae.[4][5] They are usually found in sandy, shallow areas, especially near coral reefs.[6] Exceptionally colorful species of tilefish are favored for aquariums.

Taxonomy

The similar, closely related deepwater tilefishes of the family Latilidae (formerly Branchiostegidae) have variously been placed as an evolutionarily distinct family from the Malacanthidae or as a subfamily of it.[7] Presently, Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes follows the former classification.[5]

Previously, the placement of this family within the Eupercaria was uncertain. The 5th edition of Fishes of the World classified them within the Perciformes but in a grouping of seven families that may have a relationship to Acanthuroidei, Monodactylidae, and Priacanthidae,[7] while other authorities place it outside the Perciformes, at an order level but with its true relationships being incertae sedis.[8] Another study from 2000 even found a potential relationship between the tilefish and the flying gurnards, but later studies have not followed this.[9] More recently, phylogenetic evidence has conclusively found that tilefishes belong to a wider clade of largely reef-dwelling fishes in the order Acanthuriformes, and are likely related to snappers.[10][11]

The following two genera are classified within the family Malacanthidae, in total it contains 16 species.[12][13]

The oldest known definitive fossil tilefish is †Hoplolatilus visendus, known from a fossil skeleton discovered from the Middle Eocene of the North Caucasus, Russia.[14]

Description

Unlike the deeper-bodied deepwater tilefishes, tilefishes are more slender with elongated bodies lacking predorsal ridge, and have rather rounded heads. Unlike deepwater tilefishes, tilefishes inhabit waters shallower than 50 m depth.[4] They also tend to be smaller in size; for example, the Template:Cvt yellow tilefish (Hoplolatilus luteus) compared to the Template:Cvt great northern tilefish (Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps), which has a weight of Template:Cvt.[15]

Both tilefish families have long dorsal and anal fins, the latter having one or two spines. The gill covers (opercula) have one spine which may be sharp or blunt; some species also have a cutaneous ridge atop the head. The tail fin may range in shape from truncated to forked.[15] Notable exceptions include three small, vibrant Hoplolatilus species: the purple sand tilefish (H. purpureus), Starck's tilefish (H. starcki), and the redback sand tilefish (H. marcosi).[16]

Tilefish larvae are notable for their elaborate spines. The family name Malacanthidae, is based on the type genus Malacanthus which is a compound of the Greek words malakos meaning "soft" and akanthos meaning "thorn", possibly derived from the slender, flexible spines in the dorsal fin of Malacanthus plumieri.[17]

Habitat and diet

Generally shallow-water fish, tilefish are usually found at depths of above 50 m in both temperate and tropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. All species seek shelter in self-made burrows, caves at the bases of reefs, or piles of rock, often in canyons or at the edges of steep slopes. Either gravelly or sandy substrate may be preferred, depending on the species.[18]

Most species are strictly marine; an exception is found in the blue blanquillo (Malacanthus latovittatus) which is known to enter the brackish waters of Papua New Guinea's Goldie River.[19]

Tilefish feed primarily on small benthic invertebrates, especially crustaceans such as crab and shrimp. Mollusks, worms, sea urchins, and small fish are also taken.[20]

Behaviour and reproduction

Active fish, tilefish keep to themselves and generally stay at or near the bottom. They rely heavily on their keen eyesight to catch their prey. If approached, the fish quickly dive into their constructed retreats, often head-first. The chameleon sand tilefish (Hoplolatilus chlupatyi) relies on its remarkable ability to rapidly change colour (with a wide range) to evade predators.[21]

Many species form monogamous pairs and others colonial. Some species, such as the rare pastel tilefish (Hoplolatilus fronticinctus) of the Indo-Pacific, actively builds large rubble mounds above which they school and in which they live. These mounds serve as both refuge and as a microecosystem for other reef species.[16]

The reproductive habits of tilefish are not well studied. Spawning occurs throughout the spring and summer; all species are presumed not to guard their broods. Eggs are small (< 2 mm) and made buoyant by oil. The larvae are pelagic and drift until the fish have reached the juvenile stage.[16]

References

  1. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.van der Laan, Richard; Eschmeyer, W.N. & Fricke, Ronald (2014). "Family-group names of recent fishes". Zootaxa. 3882 (2): 1–230. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3882.1.1. PMID 25543675.
  2. ^ Script error: No such module "Cite taxon".
  3. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Nelson, J.S.; Grande, T.C.; Wilson, M.V.H. (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Wiley. p. 456. ISBN 978-1-118-34233-6. Archived from the original on 2019-04-08. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  4. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Nelson, J.S. (2006). Fishes of the World (4th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 357–358. ISBN 978-0-471-25031-9.
  5. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Fricke, R.; Eschmeyer, W. N.; Van der Laan, R. (2025). "ESCHMEYER'S CATALOG OF FISHES: CLASSIFICATION". California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
  6. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Malacanthidae". DiscoverLife.org.
  7. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Nelson, J.S.; Grande, T.C.; Wilson, M.V.H. (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Wiley. p. 456. ISBN 978-1-118-34233-6. Archived from the original on 2019-04-08. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  8. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Betancur-R., Ricardo; Wiley, Edward O.; Arratia, Gloria; Acero, Arturo; Bailly, Nicolas; Miya, Masaki; et al. (6 July 2017). "Phylogenetic classification of bony fishes". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 17 (1): 162. Bibcode:2017BMCEE..17..162B. doi:10.1186/s12862-017-0958-3. ISSN 1471-2148. PMC 5501477. PMID 28683774.
  9. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Imamura, Hisashi (2000-08-01). "An alternative hypothesis on the phylogenetic position of the family Dactylopteridae (Pisces: Teleostei), with a proposed new classification". Ichthyological Research. 47 (3): 203–222. Bibcode:2000IchtR..47..203I. doi:10.1007/BF02674244. ISSN 1616-3915.
  10. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Near, Thomas J.; Thacker, Christine E. (2024-04-18). "Phylogenetic Classification of Living and Fossil Ray-Finned Fishes (Actinopterygii)". Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History. 65 (1): 101. Bibcode:2024BPMNH..65..101N. doi:10.3374/014.065.0101. ISSN 0079-032X.
  11. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Thacker, Christine E.; Near, Thomas J. (2025-06-01). "Phylogeny, biology, and evolution of acanthopterygian fish clades". Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries. 35 (2): 805–845. Bibcode:2025RFBF...35..805T. doi:10.1007/s11160-025-09935-w. ISSN 1573-5184.
  12. ^ Template:Cof family
  13. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."CAS - Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes - Genera/Species by Family/Subfamily". researcharchive.calacademy.org. Retrieved 2025-09-05.
  14. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Bannikov, A. F. (1997). "The First Find of a Perciform Fish (Family Malacanthididae) in the Middle Eocene of the North Caucasus". Paleontological Journal. 31 (5): 543–545.
  15. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Malacanthida". Mexican Fish. Tilefish family photographs, and information. 9 March 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  16. ^ a b c Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Schultz, Henry C., III (July 2006). "Redoing the seafloor with tile: The subfamily Malacanthinae, part I". Fish tales. Reefkeeping magazine. Reef Central. Retrieved 7 March 2021.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  17. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Scharpf, Christopher & Lazara, Kenneth J. (18 September 2020). "Series Eupercarria (incertae sedis): Families Callanthiidae, Centerogenyidae, Dinolestidae, Dinopercidae, Emmelichthyidae, Malacanthidae, Monodactylidae, Moronidae, Parascorpididae, Sciaenidae, and Sillaginidae". Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara d.b.a. The ETYFish Project. Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  18. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Baird, Troy A. (1988). "Female and male territoriality and mating system of the sand tilefish, Malacanthus plumieri". Environmental Biology of Fishes. 22 (2): 101–116. Bibcode:1988EnvBF..22..101B. doi:10.1007/BF00001541. S2CID 46452205.
  19. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Wingerter, Kenneth (2011). "Reconsidering the sand tilefishes". reefs.com. Aquarium fish. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  20. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Tilefish". gma.org. Archived from the original on 28 September 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  21. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Chameleon sand tilefish (Hoplolatilus chlupatyi)". SeaScape Studio Aquaria & Gifts. Fish guide. Sunset Hills, MO: Joe Faszl et alii d.b.a. SeaScape Studio. c. 2009. Retrieved 7 March 2021.

Further reading

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  • Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Acero, A.; Franke, R. (2001). "Peces del parque nacional natural Gorgona [Fishes of the Gorgona National Nature Park]". In Barrios, L.M.; Lopéz-Victoria, M. (eds.). Gorgona marina: Contribución al conocimiento de una isla única [The Gorgon Sea: Contributions to the knowledge of a unique island] (Report). Serie Publicaciones Especiales [Special publication series] (in español). Vol. 7. INVEMAR. pp. 123–131.
  • Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Breder, C.M. Jr. (1936). "Scientific results of the second oceanographic expedition of the Pawnee 1926". Heterosomata to Pediculati from Panama to Lower California. Bulletin of the Bingham Oceanographic Collection. 2 (3). New Haven, CT: Yale University: 1–56.
  • Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Béarez, P. (1996). "Lista de los Peces Marinos del Ecuador Continental" [List of the marine fishes of the Ecuadorian continental shelf]. Revista de Biología Tropical (in español). 44: 731–741.
  • Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Castro-Aguirre, J.L.; Balart, E.F. (2002). "La ictiofauna de las islas Revillagigedos y sus relaciones zoogeograficas, con comentarios acerca de su origen y evolucion". In Lozano-Vilano, M.L. (ed.). Libro Jubilar en Honor al Dr. Salvador Contreras Balderas. San Nicolás de los Garza, MX: Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo León. pp. 153–170.
  • Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Dooley, J.K. (1978). Systematics and biology of the tilefishes (Perciformes: Branchiostegidae and Malacanthidae), with descriptions of two new species (Report). U.S. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.

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