tilefish

The family is further divided into two subfamilies: Latilinae, sometimes called the Branchiosteginae, and Malacanthinae.{{cite book |last=Nelson |first=J.S. |author-link=Joseph S. Nelson |year=2006 |title=Fishes of the World |title-link=Fishes of the World |edition=4th |place=Hoboken, NJ |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-0-471-25031-9 |pages=357–358}}{{cite web |editor1=Eschmeyer, W.N. |editor1-link=William N. Eschmeyer |editor2=Fricke, R. |date=4 January 2016 |title=Species by family / subfamily in the Catalog of Fishes |publisher=California Academy of Sciences |url=http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/Ichthyology/catalog/SpeciesByFamily.asp |access-date=18 January 2016}} Some authors regard these subfamilies as two evolutionarily distinct families.

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,{{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 }} while other authorities place it outside the Perciformes, at an order level but with its true relationships being incertae sedis.{{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 |issn=1471-2148 |doi=10.1186/s12862-017-0958-3 |pmid=28683774 |pmc=5501477 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2017BMCEE..17..162B }}

The following two subfamilies and five genera are classified within the family Malacanthidae, in total it contains 45 species.{{Cof family | family = Malacanthidae | access-date = 7 March 2021}}

• subfamily Latilinae Gill, 1862
• genus Branchiostegus Rafinesque, 1815
• genus Caulolatilus Gill, 1862
• genus Lopholatilus Goode & Bean, 1879
• subfamily Malacanthinae Poey, 1861
• genus Hoplolatilus Günther 1887
• genus Malacanthus Cuvier 1829

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.

Tilefish range in size from {{cvt|11|cm}} (yellow tilefish, Hoplolatilus luteus) to {{cvt|125|cm}} (great northern tilefish, Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps) and a weight of {{cvt|30|kg}}.{{cite web |title=Malacanthida |series=Tilefish family photographs, and information |website=Mexican Fish |date=9 March 2016 |url=https://mexican-fish.com/tilefish-family/ |access-date=7 March 2021}}

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. 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).

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.{{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 |website=Fish Name Etymology Database |publisher=Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara d.b.a. The ETYFish Project |url=https://etyfish.org/eupercaria/ |access-date=7 March 2021 |archive-date=17 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220217162719/https://etyfish.org/eupercaria/ |url-status=dead }}

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.{{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 |doi=10.1007/BF00001541 |bibcode=1988EnvBF..22..101B |s2cid=46452205 }}

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.{{cite web |author=Wingerter, Kenneth |year=2011 |title=Reconsidering the sand tilefishes |series=Aquarium fish |website=reefs.com |url=https://reefs.com/magazine/aquarium-fish-reconsidering-the-sand-tilefishes/ |access-date=7 March 2021}}

Tilefish feed primarily on small benthic invertebrates, especially crustaceans such as crab and shrimp. Mollusks, worms, sea urchins, and small fish are also taken.{{cite web |title=Tilefish |website=gma.org |url=http://gma.org/fogm/L_chamaeleonticeps.htm |access-date=7 March 2021}}

After the 1882 mass die-off,{{cite journal |last1=Marsh |first1=Robert |last2=Petrie |first2=Brian |last3=Weidman |first3=Christopher R. |last4=Dickson |first4=Robert R. |last5=Loder |first5=John W. |last6=Hannah |first6=Charles G. |last7=Frank |first7=Kenneth |last8=Drinkwater |first8=Ken |display-authors=6 |year=1999 |title=The 1882 tilefish kill – a cold event in shelf waters off the north-eastern United States? |journal=Fisheries Oceanography |volume=8 |issue=1 |pages=39–49 |doi=10.1046/j.1365-2419.1999.00092.x|bibcode=1999FisOc...8...39M }} great northern tilefish were thought to be extinct until a large number were caught in 1910 near New Bedford, Massachusetts.{{cite news |title=Tile fish reappears |date=2 July 1910 |newspaper=The New York Times |url=http://nyti.ms/1rfvc9K}}

Image:Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps NOAA.jpg

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.{{cite web |title=Chameleon sand tilefish (Hoplolatilus chlupatyi) |date=c. 2009 |series=Fish guide |website=SeaScape Studio Aquaria & Gifts |place=Sunset Hills, MO |publisher=Joe Faszl {{mvar|et alii}} d.b.a. SeaScape Studio |url=https://seascapestudio.net/reference/fish.php?id=175 |access-date=7 March 2021}}

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.{{cite magazine |author=Schultz, Henry C., III |date=July 2006 |title=Redoing the seafloor with tile: The subfamily Malacanthinae, part I |department=Fish tales |magazine=Reefkeeping magazine |publisher=Reef Central |url=http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-07/hcs3/ |access-date=7 March 2021 }}

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 larvae are pelagic and drift until the fish have reached the juvenile stage.

The relative extant of Branchiostegus in the archeological record:

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File:Nishimuraya Hotel Shogetsutei Kinosaki Onsen Japan17s3.jpg 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.{{cite web |title=Fish: What pregnant women and parents should know |series=Food-borne illness and contaminants |date=28 September 2022 |publisher=U.S. Food and Drug Administration |url=https://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/Metals/ucm393070.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140613011356/http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/Metals/ucm393070.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 13, 2014}} Atlantic Ocean tilefish may have lower levels of mercury and may be safer to consume.{{cite news |title=Atlantic tilefish are absolved, F.D.A. advisory says ocean species low in mercury; fishermen vindicated |newspaper=The East Hampton Star |url=http://easthamptonstar.com/Archive/3/Atlantic-Tilefish-Are-Absolved-FDA-advisory-says-ocean-species-low-mercury-fishermen-vindi |archive-date=2018-11-27 |access-date=2016-08-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181127084310/http://easthamptonstar.com/Archive/3/Atlantic-Tilefish-Are-Absolved-FDA-advisory-says-ocean-species-low-mercury-fishermen-vindi |url-status=dead }}

Branchiostegus wardi JNC2997 Mouth.JPG|Branchiostegus wardi

Great northern tilefish.jpg|Great northern tilefish, Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps

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• {{cite book

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}}

{{Refend}}

{{Commons category|Malacanthidae}}

• {{cite web |title=Tilefish |website=Encyclopedia of Life (EOL.org) |url=http://www.eol.org/pages/5292}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q1782772}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Commercial fish