Tilefishes
Hoplolatilus randalli
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Superfamily: Percoidea
Family: Malacanthidae
Poey, 1861[1]
Subfamilies[2][3]

see text

Synonyms[1]

Branchiostegidae Jordan, 1923

Blue blanquillo, Malacanthus latovittatus

Tilefishes are mostly small perciform marine fish comprising the family Malacanthidae.[2][4] They are usually found in sandy areas, especially near coral reefs. They have a long life span, up to 46 years (females) and 39 years (males). [5]

Commercial fisheries exist for the largest species, making them important food fish. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns pregnant or breastfeeding women against eating tilefish and some other fish due to mercury contamination. [6][7] Exceptionally colorful smaller species of tilefish are favored for aquariums.

Taxonomic issues

The family is further divided into two subfamilies: Latilinae, sometimes called the Branchiosteginae, and Malacanthinae.[4][8] Some authors regard these subfamilies as two evolutionarily distinct families.[2][4]

The placement of this family within the Eupercaria is still uncertain. The 5th edition of Fishes of the World classifies them within the Perciformes but in a grouping of seven families that may have a relationship to Acanthuroidei, Monodactylidae, and Priacanthidae,[3] while other authorities place it outside the Perciformes, at an order level but with its true relationships being incertae sedis.[9]

Subfamilies and genera

The following two subfamilies and five genera are classified within the family Malacanthidae, in total it contains 45 species.[10][3][11][1]

Description

The two subfamilies appear to be morphologically different, with members of the Latilinae having deeper bodies bearing predorsal ridge and heads rounded to squarish in profile. In contrast, members of the Malacanthinae are more slender with elongated bodies lacking predorsal ridge and rounded head. They also differ ecologically, with latilines typically occurring below 50 m and malacanthines shallower than 50 m depth.[4]

Tilefish range in size from 11 cm (4.3 in) (yellow tilefish, Hoplolatilus luteus) to 125 cm (49 in) (great northern tilefish, Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps) and a weight of 30 kg (66 lb).[12]

Both subfamilies 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. Most species are fairly low-key in colour, commonly shades of yellow, brown, and gray.[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.[2] 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.[10]

Habitat and diet

Generally shallow-water fish, tilefish are usually found at depths of 50–200 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.[14]

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.[15]

Tilefish feed primarily on small benthic invertebrates, especially crustaceans such as crab and shrimp. Mollusks, worms, sea urchins, and small fish are also taken.[16]

After the 1882 mass die-off,[17] great northern tilefish were thought to be extinct until a large number were caught in 1910 near New Bedford, Massachusetts.[18]

Behaviour and reproduction

Tilefish live in burrows, sometimes forming undersea Pueblo villages. Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps

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.[19]

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 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]

Timeline

The relative extant of Branchiostegus in the archeological record:

QuaternaryNeogenePaleogeneHolocenePleist.MioceneOligoceneEocenePaleoceneBranchiostegusQuaternaryNeogenePaleogeneHolocenePleist.MioceneOligoceneEocenePaleocene

Health effects

Serving of Red tilefish Branchiostegus japonicus

Tilefish from the Gulf of Mexico have been shown to have high levels of mercury, and the FDA has recommended against their consumption by pregnant women.[20] Atlantic Ocean tilefish may have lower levels of mercury and may be safer to consume.[21]

References

  1. 1 2 3 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. 1 2 3 4 Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2015). "Malacanthidae" in FishBase. October 2015 version.
  3. 1 2 3 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. 1 2 3 4 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. ↑ "Malacanthidae". DiscoverLife.org.
  6. ↑ "Mercury Levels in Commercial Fish and Shellfish". fda.gov. Food-borne pathogens and contaminants. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 1990–2010. Retrieved 2011-09-14.
  7. ↑ Kramer, Melody Joy (17 October 2006). "Fish FAQ: What you need to know about mercury". NPR.org. National Public Radio News. Retrieved 2011-09-14.
  8. ↑ Eschmeyer, W.N.; Fricke, R., eds. (4 January 2016). "Species by family / subfamily in the Catalog of Fishes". California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  9. ↑ 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. doi:10.1186/s12862-017-0958-3. ISSN 1471-2148. PMC 5501477. PMID 28683774.
  10. 1 2 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. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  11. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Malacanthidae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  12. 1 2 "Malacanthida". Mexican Fish. Tilefish family photographs, and information. 9 March 2016. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  13. 1 2 3 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)
  14. ↑ 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. doi:10.1007/BF00001541. S2CID 46452205.
  15. ↑ Wingerter, Kenneth (2011). "Reconsidering the sand tilefishes". reefs.com. Aquarium fish. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  16. ↑ "Tilefish". gma.org. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
  17. ↑ Marsh, Robert; Petrie, Brian; Weidman, Christopher R.; Dickson, Robert R.; Loder, John W.; Hannah, Charles G.; et al. (1999). "The 1882 tilefish kill – a cold event in shelf waters off the north‐eastern United States?". Fisheries Oceanography. 8 (1): 39–49. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2419.1999.00092.x.
  18. ↑ "Tile fish reappears". The New York Times. 2 July 1910.
  19. ↑ "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.
  20. ↑ "Fish: What pregnant women and parents should know". Food-borne illness and contaminants. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 28 September 2022.
  21. ↑ "Atlantic tilefish are absolved, F.D.A. advisory says ocean species low in mercury; fishermen vindicated". The East Hampton Star.

Further reading

  • 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 Spanish). Vol. 7. INVEMAR. pp. 123–131.
  • 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. New Haven, CT: Yale University. 2 (3): 1–56.
  • 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 Spanish). 44: 731–741.
  • 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.
  • 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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