| Planehead filefish | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Tetraodontiformes |
| Family: | Monacanthidae |
| Genus: | Stephanolepis |
| Species: | S. hispidus |
| Binomial name | |
| Stephanolepis hispidus | |
| Synonyms [2] | |
| |
Stephanolepis hispidus, the planehead filefish, is a species of bony fish, a ray-finned fish in the family Monacanthidae.
The planehead filefish grows to a maximum length of 27 centimetres (11 in) but is more typically about 17 centimetres (6.7 in) long. The colour is cryptic, being a more or less mottled pale brown, olive or green on a light coloured background, sometimes with darker brown splotches and streaks. The fish is laterally compressed and deep bodied. The snout is elongated with a terminal mouth. The large yellow eye is set high on the head and above it is a prominent retractable spine. This is the anterior of the two spines associated with the long dorsal fin, which also has 29 to 35 soft rays. The anal fin has no spines and between 30 and 35 soft rays. The pectoral fins are small and the tail fin is large and fan-shaped, often with two darker coloured bands. [3] [4] [5]
Planehead filefish are sexually dimorphic. In mature males, the second soft ray of the dorsal fin becomes greatly elongated and the scales on either side of the caudal peduncle develop into a patch of bristles. The elongated ray reaches between 104 and 128 mm. Females do not develop secondary sexual characteristics. They tend to have greater body depth than males, but variation in this trait exists in both sexes and overlap in measurements are recorded. [5]
The planehead filefish is found in the Atlantic Ocean at depths of up to 300 metres (980 ft). Its range extends from Nova Scotia to Uruguay in the west and from the Canary Islands to Angola in the east. It is found near the seabed on reefs and over sandy and muddy sea floors. It is often found among Sargassum seaweed. [3]
In the Canary Islands the growth and ageing of the planehead filefish have been studied. Spawning takes place in the summer and the age of the fish is established by using the fast and slow growth rings found in the anterior dorsal fin spine. The species has a lifespan of about three years and reaches half its final length by the end of its first year. [6]
The planehead filefish can be used for human consumption. In the Canary Islands it is caught in fish traps and at one time was considered to be a by-catch, incidental to the capture of other, more desirable fish. However, since the 1980s, it has become a target species in its own right and by 2000, there were concerns about overfishing. [6]
The filefish (Monacanthidae) are a diverse family of tropical to subtropical tetraodontiform marine fish, which are also known as foolfish, leatherjackets or shingles. They live in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Filefish are closely related to triggerfish, pufferfish and trunkfish.
The Zeidae are a family of large, showy, deep-bodied zeiform marine fish—the "true dories". Found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, the family contains just six species in two genera. All species are important and highly regarded food fish supporting commercial fisheries, and some—such as the John Dory —are enjoyed in large public aquaria. These fish are caught primarily by deep-sea trawling.
The Percophidae, duckbills, are a family of percomorph fishes, from the order Trachiniformes, found in tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans and in the southwestern and southeastern Pacific.
The yellowfin grouper is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in the warmer waters of the western Atlantic Ocean.
The painted comber is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sea bass from the subfamily Serraninae, classified as part of the family Serranidae which includes the groupers and anthias. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Black Sea. Confusingly, a synonym of this species is Perca marina, but that name has incorrectly been used for a separate species, the rose fish.
Aluterus scriptus, commonly known as scrawled filefish, broomtail filefish or scribbled leatherjacket, is a marine fish belonging to the family Monacanthidae.
The sailfin grouper, also known as the bacalao grouper, colorado grouper or yellow grouper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found off islands in the eastern Pacific.
Cephalopholis taeniops, the African hind, bluespotted sea bass or spotted grouper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is in the family Serranidae which also includes the anthias and sea basses. This species occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade and is a target for local fisheries. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean.
Cantherhines dumerilii is a species of fish in the family Monacanthidae, the filefishes. Its common names include whitespotted filefish, barred filefish, orange-fin file, and yelloweye leatherjacket. It is distributed in the Indian and Pacific Oceans where it is found on coral reefs.
Aluterus schoepfii, the orange filefish, is a species of fish in the family Monacanthidae. The species can also be listed under the family Balistidae. They can reach a maximum size of 62 centimetres (24 in) although they are common to 40 centimetres (16 in).
The ornate wrasse is a species of wrasse native to the rocky coasts of the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. This species is of minor importance to local commercial fisheries, is also popular as a game fish, and can be found in the aquarium trade.
The pointed-snout wrasse, also known as the long-snout wrasse, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a wrasse from the family Labridae which is native to coastal waters of the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. This species can also be found in the aquarium trade and is occasionally taken in artisanal fisheries.
Stephanolepis is a genus of bony fish in the family Monacanthidae, the filefishes. Members of this genus are unusual-shaped fish and have a very rough skin which gives them their common name. They are laterally flattened and deep bodied with long dorsal and anal fins and a fan-shaped tail. They have a mouth at the tip of the projecting snout and a long spine on the top of the head.
Stephanolepis cirrhifer, commonly known as the thread-sail filefish, is a species of marine fish in the family Monacanthidae. It is found in the western Pacific, in an area that ranges from northern Japan to the East China Sea, to Korea. The fish grows to a maximum length of about 12 inches, and consumes both plant material and small marine organisms like skeleton shrimp. S. cirrhifer is host of the parasite Peniculus minuticaudae. Some minor genetic differentiation between S. cirrhifer born in the wild and those bred in a hatchery for consumer use has been shown. The fish is edible and sold commercially for culinary purposes in many Asian countries.
The redmouth grouper, also known as the red-flushed rock cod is a species of ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It has a wide distribution in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is considered a game fish.
The yellowmouth grouper, also known as the crossband rockfish, grey mannock, hamlet, harlequin rockfish, princess rockfish, rockfish, salmon grouper, salmon rock fish or scamp, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in the Caribbean and in the tropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It is also found in pockets in Brazil. It is a fairly large fish and it gets its name from the yellow around its mouth.
Cantherhines pardalis is a species of fish in the family Monacanthidae, the filefishes. Common names include honeycomb filefish, honeycomb leatherjacket, and wire-netting filefish. It is native to the Indian Ocean, the eastern Atlantic, and the western Pacific, except for the seas around Hawaii, where it is replaced by Cantherhines sandwichiensis.
Stephanolepis diaspros, commonly known as the reticulated filefish or the reticulated leatherjacket, is a species of bony fish, a ray-finned fish in the family Monacanthidae. Its natural range is the western Indian Ocean but it is also one of the species which has colonised the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal by Lessepsian migration from the Red Sea.
The Arabian scad is a species of jack mackerel from the family Carangidae which is found in the Western Indian Ocean.
The lesser African threadfin is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a threadfin from the family Polynemidae which is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean off the western coast of Africa.
