? Tilefish
Blue blanquillo
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Perciformes Family: Malacanthidae
Genera
Branchiostegus Caulolatilus Hoplolatilus Lopholatilus Malacanthus

Tilefish, also known as blanquillo, are mostly small perciform marine fish comprising the family Malacanthidae. Blue Blanquillo, a species of tilefish. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Phyla Porifera (sponges) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria (coral, jellyfish, anemones) Placozoa (trichoplax) Subregnum Bilateria (bilateral symmetry) Acoelomorpha (basal) Orthonectida (parasitic to flatworms, echinoderms, etc. ... Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicatas Ascidiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include the vertebrates, together with... Orders See text The Actinopterygii are the ray-finned fish. ... Families many, see text The Perciformes, also called the Percomorphi or Acanthopteri, include about 40% of all fish and are the largest order of vertebrates. ... Families many, see text The Perciformes, also called the Percomorphi or Acanthopteri, include about 40% of all fish and are the largest order of vertebrates. ... Atlantic herring, Clupea harengus: the most abundant species of fish in the world. ... Scientific classification or biological classification refers to how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ...

Species

Forty-two species in five genera are represented, Commercial fisheries exist for the largest species, making them important food fish. The smaller, exceptionally colourful species are enjoyed in the aquarium. The family is further divided into two subfamilies: Branchiosteginae and Malacanthinae. Some authors regard these subfamilies as two evolutionarily distinct families (in which case the former subfamily is recorded as Branchiostegidae). In biology, a species is the basic unit of biodiversity. ... In biology, a genus (plural genera) is a grouping in the classification of living organisms having one or more related and morphologically similar species. ... A lobster boat unloading its catch in Ilfracombe harbour, North Devon, England A fishery (plural: fisheries) is an organized effort by humans to catch fish or other aquatic species, an activity known as fishing. ... A tropical display tank at the Georgia Aquarium An aquarium (plural aquariums or aquaria) is a vivarium, usually contained in a clear-sided container (typically constructed of glass or high-strength plastic) in which water-dwelling plants and animals (usually fish, and sometimes invertebrates, as well as amphibians, marine mammals... A speculative phylogenetic tree of all living things, based on rRNA gene data, showing the separation of the three domains, bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes. ...

Due to their low fecundities, commercially important species are threatened by overfishing via long-line and bottom trawling methods. Long-line fishing is a commercial fishing technique that uses hundreds or even thousands of baited hooks hanging from a single line. ... // Trawling Double-rigged shrimp trawler hauling in the nets Trawling is a method of fishing that involves actively pulling a fishing net through the water behind one or more boats. ...

Physical description

The two subfamilies appear to be morphologically different, with members of Branchiosteginae having deep bodies, large heads and large, somewhat subterminal mouths. In contrast, members of Malacanthinae are slender with elongate bodies, smaller heads and terminal mouths.

Tilefish range in size from 11 centimetres (yellow tilefish, Hoplolatilus luteus) to 125 centimetres (great northern tilefish, Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps) and a weight of 30 kilograms.

Both subfamilies have long dorsal and anal fins, the latter having 1-2 spines. The gill covers (operculum) 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 truncate to forked. Most species are fairly low-key in colour, commonly shades of yellow, brown and gray. 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). Dorsal Fin of the Orca A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of fishes, whales, dolphins and porpoises. ... Fish anatomy is primarily governed by the physical characteristics of water, which is much denser than air, holds a relatively small amount of dissolved oxygen, and absorbs light more than does air. ... The operculum in fish is the hard bony flap covering and protecting the gills of Bony fish. ... This article is about skin in the biological sense. ...

Tilefish larvae are notable for their generous complement of spines and serrations on the head and scales. This feature also explains the family name Malacanthidae, from the Greek words mala meaning "many" and akantha meaning "thorn". A larva (Latin; plural larvae) is a juvenile form of animal with indirect development, undergoing metamorphosis (for example, insects or amphibians). ...

Habitat and diet

Great Northern Tilefish

Generally shallow-water fish, tilefish are usually found at depths of 50-200 metres found 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. Great Northern Tilefish (Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps) . Image from NOAAs Northeast Fisheries Science Center. ... Great Northern Tilefish (Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps) . Image from NOAAs Northeast Fisheries Science Center. ... The Atlantic Ocean is Earths second-largest ocean, covering approximately one-fifth of its surface. ... For other meanings of Pacific, see Pacific (disambiguation). ... A reef surrounding an islet. ...

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. Brackish water is water that is saltier than fresh water, but not as salty as sea water. ...

Tilefish feed primarily on small benthic invertebrates, especially crustaceans such as crab and shrimp. Mollusks, worms, sea urchins and small fish are also taken. In oceanography, marine geology and biology, benthos are the organisms and habitats of the sea floor; in freshwater biology they are the organisms and habitats of the bottoms of lakes, rivers, and creeks. ... Invertebrate is a term coined by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck to describe any animal without a spinal column. ... Classes Class Branchiopoda Subclass Phyllopoda Subclass Sarsostraca Class Remipedia Order Enantiopoda Order Nectiopoda Class Cephalocarida Order Brachypoda Class Maxillopoda Subclass Mystacocarida Subclass Copepoda Subclass Branchiura Subclass Pentastomida Subclass Tantulocarida Subclass Thecostraca Infraclass Cirripedia Class Ostracoda Order Metacopina Subclass Myodocopa Subclass Podocopa Class Malacostraca Subclass Eumalacostraca Subclass Hoplocarida Subclass Phyllocarida The... Sections Dromiacea Raninoida Heterotremata Thoracotremata The term crab is often applied to several different groups of short (nose to tail) decapod crustaceans with thick exoskeletons, but only members of the Brachyura are true crabs; other taxa, such as hermit crabs, porcelain crabs, king crabs, and horseshoe crabs are, despite superficial... Superfamilies and families Alpheoidea Alpheidae - snapping shrimps Barbouriidae Hippolytidae Ogyrididae Atyoidea Atyidae Bresilioidea Agostocarididae Alvinocarididae Bresiliidae Disciadidae Mirocarididae Campylonotoidea Bathypalaemonellidae Campylonotoidae Crangonoidea Crangonidae Glyphocrangonidea Galatheacaridoidea Galatheacarididae Nematocarcinoidea Eugonatonotidae Nematocarcinidae Rhynchocinetidae Xiphocarididae Oplophoroidea Oplophoridae Palaemonoidea Anchistioididae Desmocarididae Euryrhynchidae Gnathophyllidae Hymenoceridae Kakaducarididae Palaemonidae Typhlocarididae Pandaloidea Pandalidae Thalassocarididae Pasiphaeoidea Pasiphaeidae Procaridoidea Procarididae Processoidea... Classes Caudofoveata Aplacophora Polyplacophora Monoplacophora Bivalvia Scaphopoda Gastropoda Cephalopoda The molluscs or mollusks are the large and diverse phylum Mollusca, which includes a variety of familiar creatures well-known for their decorative shells or as seafood. ... A worm is an elongated soft-bodied invertebrate animal. ... Subclasses Euechinoidea Superorder Atelostomata Order Cassiduloida Order Spatangoida (heart urchins) Superorder Diadematacea Order Diadematoida Order Echinothurioida Order Pedinoida Superorder Echinacea Order Arbacioida Order Echinoida Order Phymosomatoida Order Salenioida Order Temnopleuroida Superorder Gnathostomata Order Clypeasteroida (sand dollars) Order Holectypoida Perischoechinoidea Order Cidaroida (pencil urchins) Group of black, long-spined Caribbean sea...

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 pray. If approached, the fish will 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.

Many species form monogamous pairs, while some are solitary in nature (e.g., Ocean Whitefish, Caulolatilus princeps), 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. In monogamy (Greek: monos = single/only and gamos = marriage) a person has only one spouse at a time (as opposed to polygamy). ... The Indo-Pacific is the aggregate of the Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and the minor seas between the two in the general area of Indonesia. ... In ecology, the word ecosystem is an abbreviation of the term, ecological system. ...

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. A larva (Latin; plural larvae) is a juvenile form of animal with indirect development, undergoing metamorphosis (for example, insects or amphibians). ... Diagram of the layers of the pelagic zone. ...

See also

• List of fish families
• List of fish common names

This is a list of fish families sorted by scientific name. ... This is a list of fish common names. ...

External link

• FishBase: Malacanthidae