More common in offshore areas, including floating seaweed and flotsam, and around islands. Juveniles are associated with floating seaweeds (Ref. 3790). Probably feeds on plants and small invertebrates (Ref. 3790). Generally considered as trash fish, rarely consumed (Ref. 3790).

Western Atlantic.

Western Atlantic: Bermuda, North Carolina (USA), and northern Gulf of Mexico to southeastern Brazil (Ref. 57756). Indo-Pacific (Ref. 26165).

Western Atlantic: from Bermuda, North Carolina (USA), and northern Gulf of Mexico to northern South America

Gulf of Mexico, North West Atlantic

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Global Range: North Carolina, Bermuda, and northern Gulf of Mexico to northern South America (Robins and Ray 1986).

Dorsal spines (total): 2; Dorsal soft rays (total): 27 - 29; Analspines: 0; Analsoft rays: 27 - 29

20.0 cm TL (male/unsexed; (Ref. 3790))

Profile from snout to origin of first dorsal spine nearly straight (Ref. 26938). No enlarged spines on caudal peduncle, but males with an elongate patch of bristle-like spinules (Ref. 13442).

reef-associated; marine; depth range ? - 80 m (Ref. 5217)

Depth range based on 30 specimens in 1 taxon.
Water temperature and chemistry ranges based on 19 samples.

Environmental ranges
  Depth range (m): 0 - 40.2336
  Temperature range (°C): 23.731 - 27.724
  Nitrate (umol/L): 0.256 - 0.570
  Salinity (PPS): 35.209 - 36.210
  Oxygen (ml/l): 4.538 - 4.899
  Phosphate (umol/l): 0.088 - 0.165
  Silicate (umol/l): 0.921 - 2.444

Graphical representation

Depth range (m): 0 - 40.2336

Temperature range (°C): 23.731 - 27.724

Nitrate (umol/L): 0.256 - 0.570

Salinity (PPS): 35.209 - 36.210

Oxygen (ml/l): 4.538 - 4.899

Phosphate (umol/l): 0.088 - 0.165

Silicate (umol/l): 0.921 - 2.444
 
Note: this information has not been validated. Check this *note*. Your feedback is most welcome.

Habitat Type: Marine

Comments: Mainly offshore waters, including floating seaweed and flotsam, and around islands (Robins and Ray 1986).

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

More common in offshore areas, including floating seaweed and flotsam, and around islands. Juveniles are associated with floating seaweeds (Ref. 3790). Probably feeds on plants and small invertebrates (Ref. 3790).

Comments: Filefishes prefer sponges, sea whips, hydroids, and soft-bodied invertebrates (Robins and Ray 1986).

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.


There are 4 barcode sequences available from BOLD and GenBank.  Below is a sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.  See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen and other sequences.


Download FASTA File

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 4
Specimens with Barcodes: 12
Species With Barcodes: 1

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

Not Evaluated

fisheries: subsistence fisheries