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{{Automatic taxobox | {{Automatic taxobox | ||
| name = Tilefishes | | name = Tilefishes | ||
| image = RandallTFya.jpg | | fossil_range = {{fossil range|Bartonian|present|[[Middle Eocene]] to present}} | ||
| image_caption = ''[[Hoplolatilus randalli]]'' | | image = RandallTFya.jpg | ||
| image_caption = ''[[Hoplolatilus randalli]]'' | |||
| taxon = Malacanthidae | | taxon = Malacanthidae | ||
| authority = [[Felipe Poey y Aloy|Poey]], 1861<ref name=vdLaan-Eschmeyer-Fricke-2014>{{cite journal |author1=van der Laan, Richard |author2=Eschmeyer, W.N. |author2-link=William N. Eschmeyer |author3=Fricke, Ronald |name-list-style=amp |year=2014 |title=Family-group names of recent fishes |journal=Zootaxa |volume=3882 |issue=2 |pages=1–230 |doi=10.11646/zootaxa.3882.1.1 |pmid=25543675 |url=https://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.3882.1.1/10480 |doi-access=free }}</ref> | | authority = [[Felipe Poey y Aloy|Poey]], 1861<ref name=vdLaan-Eschmeyer-Fricke-2014>{{cite journal |author1=van der Laan, Richard |author2=Eschmeyer, W.N. |author2-link=William N. Eschmeyer |author3=Fricke, Ronald |name-list-style=amp |year=2014 |title=Family-group names of recent fishes |journal=Zootaxa |volume=3882 |issue=2 |pages=1–230 |doi=10.11646/zootaxa.3882.1.1 |pmid=25543675 |url=https://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.3882.1.1/10480 |doi-access=free }}</ref> | ||
| subdivision_ranks = | | subdivision_ranks = Genera<ref name=FishBase-2015-10>{{FishBase family |family=Malacanthidae |month=October |year=2015}}</ref><ref name=Nelson-Grande-Wilson-2016>{{cite book |author1=Nelson, J.S. |author1-link=Joseph S. Nelson |author2=Grande, T.C. |author3=Wilson, M.V.H. |year=2016 |title=Fishes of the World |edition=5th |page=456 |publisher=Wiley |isbn=978-1-118-34233-6 |url=https://sites.google.com/site/fotw5th/ |access-date=2021-03-07 |archive-date=2019-04-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190408194051/https://sites.google.com/site/fotw5th/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> | ||
| | | subdivision = * ''[[Hoplolatilus]]'' | ||
| | * ''[[Malacanthus]]'' | ||
| | | synonyms = | ||
| synonyms_ref = | |||
}} | }} | ||
[[ | [[File:Malacanthus_latovittatus.jpg|right|thumb|250x250px|[[Blue blanquillo]], ''Malacanthus latovittatus'']] | ||
'''Tilefishes''' or '''sand tilefishes''' are mostly small [[Percomorpha|percomorph]] marine [[fish]] comprising the [[Family (biology)|family]] '''Malacanthidae'''.<ref name="Nelson-20062">{{cite book |last=Nelson |first=J.S. |author-link=Joseph S. Nelson |title=Fishes of the World |title-link=Fishes of the World |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-471-25031-9 |edition=4th |place=Hoboken, NJ |pages=357–358}}</ref><ref name=":132">{{Cite web |last1=Fricke |first1=R. |last2=Eschmeyer |first2=W. N. |last3=Van der Laan |first3=R. |date=2025 |title=ESCHMEYER'S CATALOG OF FISHES: CLASSIFICATION |url=https://www.calacademy.org/eschmeyers-catalog-of-fishes-classification |access-date=2025-02-10 |website=California Academy of Sciences |language=en}}</ref> They are usually found in sandy, shallow areas, especially near [[Coral reef|coral reefs]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Malacanthidae |url=http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Malacanthidae |website=DiscoverLife.org}}</ref> Exceptionally colorful species of tilefish are favored for [[Aquarium|aquariums]]. | |||
== Taxonomy == | |||
The similar, closely related deepwater tilefishes of the family [[Deepwater tilefish|Latilidae]] (formerly Branchiostegidae) have variously been placed as an [[Evolution|evolutionarily]] distinct family from the Malacanthidae or as a [[subfamily]] of it.<ref name="Nelson-Grande-Wilson-20162">{{cite book |author1=Nelson, J.S. |author1-link=Joseph S. Nelson |url=https://sites.google.com/site/fotw5th/ |title=Fishes of the World |author2=Grande, T.C. |author3=Wilson, M.V.H. |publisher=Wiley |year=2016 |isbn=978-1-118-34233-6 |edition=5th |page=456 |access-date=2021-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190408194051/https://sites.google.com/site/fotw5th/ |archive-date=2019-04-08 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Presently, ''[[Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes]]'' follows the former classification.<ref name=":132" /> | |||
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]],<ref name="Nelson-Grande-Wilson-20162" /> while other authorities place it outside the Perciformes, at an order level but with its true relationships being ''[[incertae sedis]]''.<ref name="Betancur-Rodriguez-etal-20172">{{cite journal |last1=Betancur-R. |first1=Ricardo |last2=Wiley |first2=Edward O. |last3=Arratia |first3=Gloria |last4=Acero |first4=Arturo |last5=Bailly |first5=Nicolas |last6=Miya |first6=Masaki |last7=Lecointre |first7=Guillaume |last8=Ortí |first8=Guillermo |display-authors=6 |date=6 July 2017 |title=Phylogenetic classification of bony fishes |journal=BMC Evolutionary Biology |volume=17 |issue=1 |page=162 |bibcode=2017BMCEE..17..162B |doi=10.1186/s12862-017-0958-3 |issn=1471-2148 |pmc=5501477 |pmid=28683774 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Another study from 2000 even found a potential relationship between the tilefish and the [[Dactylopteridae|flying gurnards]], but later studies have not followed this.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Imamura |first=Hisashi |date=2000-08-01 |title=An alternative hypothesis on the phylogenetic position of the family Dactylopteridae (Pisces: Teleostei), with a proposed new classification |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02674244 |journal=Ichthyological Research |language=en |volume=47 |issue=3 |pages=203–222 |doi=10.1007/BF02674244 |bibcode=2000IchtR..47..203I |issn=1616-3915|url-access=subscription }}</ref> 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 [[Lutjanidae|snappers]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Near |first1=Thomas J. |last2=Thacker |first2=Christine E. |date=2024-04-18 |title=Phylogenetic Classification of Living and Fossil Ray-Finned Fishes (Actinopterygii) |url=https://bioone.org/journals/bulletin-of-the-peabody-museum-of-natural-history/volume-65/issue-1/014.065.0101/Phylogenetic-Classification-of-Living-and-Fossil-Ray-Finned-Fishes-Actinopterygii/10.3374/014.065.0101.full |journal=Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History |volume=65 |issue=1 |page=101 |doi=10.3374/014.065.0101 |bibcode=2024BPMNH..65..101N |issn=0079-032X|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Thacker |first1=Christine E. |last2=Near |first2=Thomas J. |date=2025-06-01 |title=Phylogeny, biology, and evolution of acanthopterygian fish clades |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s11160-025-09935-w |journal=Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries |language=en |volume=35 |issue=2 |pages=805–845 |doi=10.1007/s11160-025-09935-w |bibcode=2025RFBF...35..805T |issn=1573-5184|url-access=subscription }}</ref> | |||
<ref>{{cite | |||
The following two genera are classified within the family Malacanthidae, in total it contains 16 species.<ref name="CoF-fam2">{{Cof family|family=Malacanthidae|access-date=5 September 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=CAS - Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes - Genera/Species by Family/Subfamily |url=https://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/SpeciesByFamily.asp |access-date=2025-09-05 |website=researcharchive.calacademy.org}}</ref> | |||
The | |||
* '''Family''' '''Malacanthidae''' <small>Poey, 1861</small> | |||
* ''''' | |||
** genus ''[[Hoplolatilus]]'' <small>[[Albert Günther|Günther]] 1887</small> | ** genus ''[[Hoplolatilus]]'' <small>[[Albert Günther|Günther]] 1887</small> | ||
** genus ''[[Malacanthus]]'' <small>[[Georges Cuvier|Cuvier]] 1829</small> | ** genus ''[[Malacanthus]]'' <small>[[Georges Cuvier|Cuvier]] 1829</small> | ||
The oldest known definitive fossil tilefish is †''[[Hoplolatilus visendus]]'', known from a fossil skeleton discovered from the [[Middle Eocene]] of the [[North Caucasus]], Russia.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bannikov |first=A. F. |date=1997 |title=The First Find of a Perciform Fish (Family Malacanthididae) in the Middle Eocene of the North Caucasus |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266793549 |journal=Paleontological Journal |volume=31 |issue=5 |pages=543–545}}</ref> | |||
==Description== | ==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.<ref name="Nelson-20062" /> They also tend to be smaller in size; for example, the {{cvt|11|cm}} [[yellow tilefish]] (''Hoplolatilus luteus'') compared to the {{cvt|125|cm}} [[great northern tilefish]] (''Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps''), which has a weight of {{cvt|30|kg}}.<ref name="MF2">{{cite web |date=9 March 2016 |title=Malacanthida |url=https://mexican-fish.com/tilefish-family/ |access-date=7 March 2021 |website=Mexican Fish |series=Tilefish family photographs, and information}}</ref> | |||
Both tilefish families have long [[Dorsal fin|dorsal]] and [[Anal fin|anal fins]], the latter having one or two spines. The gill covers ([[Operculum (fish)|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.<ref name="MF2" /> 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'').<ref name="Schultz2">{{cite magazine |author=Schultz, Henry C., III |date=July 2006 |title=Redoing the seafloor with tile: The subfamily Malacanthinae, part I |url=http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-07/hcs3/ |access-date=7 March 2021 |department=Fish tales |magazine=Reefkeeping magazine |publisher=Reef Central}}</ref> | |||
Tilefish | Tilefish [[Larva|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 language|Greek]] words ''malakos'' meaning "soft" and ''akanthos'' meaning "thorn", possibly derived from the slender, flexible spines in the dorsal fin of ''[[Malacanthus plumieri]]''.<ref name="Scharpf-Lazara-20202">{{cite web |author1=Scharpf, Christopher |author2=Lazara, Kenneth J. |name-list-style=amp |date=18 September 2020 |title=Series Eupercarria (incertae sedis): Families Callanthiidae, Centerogenyidae, Dinolestidae, Dinopercidae, Emmelichthyidae, Malacanthidae, Monodactylidae, Moronidae, Parascorpididae, Sciaenidae, and Sillaginidae |url=https://etyfish.org/eupercaria/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220217162719/https://etyfish.org/eupercaria/ |archive-date=17 February 2022 |access-date=7 March 2021 |website=Fish Name Etymology Database |publisher=Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara [[doing business as|d.b.a.]] The ETYFish Project}}</ref> | ||
== Habitat and diet == | == Habitat and diet == | ||
Generally shallow-water fish, tilefish are usually found at depths of | Generally shallow-water fish, tilefish are usually found at depths of above 50 m in both temperate and tropical waters of the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]], [[Pacific Ocean|Pacific]], and [[Indian Ocean|Indian Oceans]]. All species seek shelter in self-made burrows, caves at the bases of [[Reef|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.<ref name="Baird-19882">{{cite journal |last1=Baird |first1=Troy A. |year=1988 |title=Female and male territoriality and mating system of the sand tilefish, ''Malacanthus plumieri'' |journal=Environmental Biology of Fishes |volume=22 |issue=2 |pages=101–116 |bibcode=1988EnvBF..22..101B |doi=10.1007/BF00001541 |s2cid=46452205}}</ref> | ||
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]].<ref name=Wingerter- | 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]].<ref name="Wingerter-20112">{{cite web |author=Wingerter, Kenneth |year=2011 |title=Reconsidering the sand tilefishes |url=https://reefs.com/magazine/aquarium-fish-reconsidering-the-sand-tilefishes/ |access-date=7 March 2021 |website=reefs.com |series=Aquarium fish}}</ref> | ||
Tilefish feed primarily on small [[ | Tilefish feed primarily on small [[Benthos|benthic]] [[Invertebrate|invertebrates]], especially [[Crustacean|crustaceans]] such as [[crab]] and [[shrimp]]. [[Mollusk|Mollusks]], [[Worm|worms]], [[Sea urchin|sea urchins]], and small fish are also taken.<ref name="gma2">{{cite web |title=Tilefish |url=http://gma.org/fogm/L_chamaeleonticeps.htm |access-date=7 March 2021 |website=gma.org |archive-date=28 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180928175415/http://www.gma.org/fogm/L_chamaeleonticeps.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> | ||
== Behaviour and reproduction == | == 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.<ref name="sss2">{{cite web |date=c. 2009 |title=Chameleon sand tilefish (''Hoplolatilus chlupatyi'') |url=https://seascapestudio.net/reference/fish.php?id=175 |access-date=7 March 2021 |website=SeaScape Studio Aquaria & Gifts |series=Fish guide |publisher=Joe Faszl {{mvar|et alii}} [[doing business as|d.b.a.]] SeaScape Studio |place=Sunset Hills, MO}}</ref> | |||
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.<ref name = | |||
Many species form [[ | Many species form [[Monogamy in animals|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 micro[[ecosystem]] for other reef species.<ref name="Schultz2" /> | ||
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 {{nobr|(< 2 mm)}} and made buoyant by oil. The [[ | 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 {{nobr|(< 2 mm)}} and made buoyant by oil. The [[Larva|larvae]] are [[Pelagic zone|pelagic]] and drift until the fish have reached the juvenile stage.<ref name="Schultz2" /> | ||
==Gallery== | ==Gallery== | ||
<gallery> | <gallery> | ||
File:Branchiostegus_wardi_JNC2997_Mouth.JPG|''[[Branchiostegus wardi]]'' | |||
File:Great_northern_tilefish.jpg|[[Great northern tilefish]], ''Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps'' | |||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
== References == | == References == | ||
<references ></references> | |||
==Further reading== | ==Further reading== | ||
{{Refbegin|colwidth=25em|small=yes}} | {{Refbegin|colwidth=25em|small=yes}} | ||
* {{cite report | * {{cite report |title=Gorgona marina: Contribución al conocimiento de una isla única |trans-title=The Gorgon Sea: Contributions to the knowledge of a unique island |author1=Acero, A. |author2=Franke, R. |year=2001 |publisher=[[INVEMAR]] |volume=7 |pages=123–131 |section=Peces del parque nacional natural Gorgona [Fishes of the Gorgona National Nature Park] |lang=es |editor1=Barrios, L.M. |editor2=Lopéz-Victoria, M. |series=Serie Publicaciones Especiales [Special publication series]}} | ||
* {{cite journal |author=Breder, C.M. Jr. |year=1936 |title=Scientific results of the second oceanographic expedition of the ''Pawnee'' 1926 |department=Heterosomata to Pediculati from Panama to Lower California |journal=Bulletin of the Bingham Oceanographic Collection |publisher=Yale University |volume=2 |issue=3 |pages=1–56 |place=New Haven, CT}} | |||
* {{cite journal |author=Béarez, P. |year=1996 |title=Lista de los Peces Marinos del Ecuador Continental |trans-title=List of the marine fishes of the Ecuadorian continental shelf |journal=Revista de Biología Tropical |language=es |volume=44 |pages=731–741}} | |||
* {{cite book |author1=Castro-Aguirre, J.L. |title=Libro Jubilar en Honor al Dr. Salvador Contreras Balderas |author2=Balart, E.F. |publisher=Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo León |year=2002 |editor=Lozano-Vilano, M.L. |place=San Nicolás de los Garza, MX |pages=153–170 |section=La ictiofauna de las islas Revillagigedos y sus relaciones zoogeograficas, con comentarios acerca de su origen y evolucion}} | |||
* {{cite report |title=Systematics and biology of the tilefishes (Perciformes: Branchiostegidae and Malacanthidae), with descriptions of two new species |author=Dooley, J.K. |year=1978 |publisher=U.S. [[National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration]]}} | |||
}} | |||
* {{cite journal | |||
}} | |||
* {{cite journal | |||
}} | |||
* {{cite book | |||
}} | |||
* {{cite report | |||
}} | |||
{{Refend}} | {{Refend}} | ||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
{{Commons category|Malacanthidae}} | {{Commons category|Malacanthidae}} | ||
* {{cite web |title=Tilefish |url=http://www.eol.org/pages/5292 |website=[[Encyclopedia of Life]] (EOL.org)}} | |||
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1782772}} | {{Taxonbar|from=Q1782772}} | ||
{{Authority control}} | {{Authority control}}<!--[[Category:Edible fish]] moved to species articles--> | ||
[[Category:Malacanthidae| ]] | [[Category:Malacanthidae| ]] | ||
<!-- [[Category:Edible fish]] moved to species articles --> | <!-- [[Category:Edible fish]] moved to species articles --> | ||
[[Category:Commercial fish]] | [[Category:Commercial fish]] | ||
Latest revision as of 01:25, 20 October 2025
Template:Short description Template:Automatic taxobox
Tilefishes or sand tilefishes are mostly small percomorph marine fish comprising the family Malacanthidae.[1][2] They are usually found in sandy, shallow areas, especially near coral reefs.[3] 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.[4] Presently, Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes follows the former classification.[2]
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,[4] while other authorities place it outside the Perciformes, at an order level but with its true relationships being incertae sedis.[5] Another study from 2000 even found a potential relationship between the tilefish and the flying gurnards, but later studies have not followed this.[6] 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.[7][8]
The following two genera are classified within the family Malacanthidae, in total it contains 16 species.[9][10]
- Family Malacanthidae Poey, 1861
- genus Hoplolatilus Günther 1887
- genus Malacanthus Cuvier 1829
The oldest known definitive fossil tilefish is †Hoplolatilus visendus, known from a fossil skeleton discovered from the Middle Eocene of the North Caucasus, Russia.[11]
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.[1] 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.[12]
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.[12] 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).[13]
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.[14]
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.[15]
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.[16]
Tilefish feed primarily on small benthic invertebrates, especially crustaceans such as crab and shrimp. Mollusks, worms, sea urchins, and small fish are also taken.[17]
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.[18]
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.[13]
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.[13]
Gallery
-
Great northern tilefish, Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps
References
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- ↑ Template:Cof family
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Further reading
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External links
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