Caulolatilus intermedius
Anchor Tilefish
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Malacanthidae (Tilefishes)
Caulolatilus
Caulolatilus intermedius (Anchor Tilefish)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
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Characters
Elongate and elliptical in profile, darkly pigmented predorsal ridge, well-developed opercular spine, rounded caudal fin with extended tips. Dorsal profile of head moderately convex. Mouth terminal, upper jaw extending to anterior margin of orbit. Posterior naris enclosed in a tube with a flap. Jaws with outer row of 35 canine teeth and a patch of villiform teeth on either side of symphyses. Preoperculum finely serrated on posterior margin. Operculum with a broad spine about half the length of pupil diameter. Gill rakers on first arch number 18 to 22. Measurements: head length 27%–31% SL, pre-dorsal-fin length 30%–36% SL, body depth 26%–32% SL; snout length 29%–40% head length, upper jaw length 31%–37% head length, orbit diameter 26%–40% head length. Pectoral fin long and pointed with 16 or 17 rays. Dorsal fin originates over middle of pectoral fin base with seven spines and 24 to 26 rays. Anal fin with one or two spines and 22 or 23 rays. Scales ctenoid on body and cycloid on head.
Light violet brown dorsally and white ventrally. Black anchor-shaped mark on nape, dark stripe from eye to maxilla. Dorsal fin with series of dark blotches forming an irregular band. Black spot on axil of pectoral fin.
Distribution
Western Atlantic from the Gulf of Mexico and Cuba, northwestern Florida to Yucatán in the Gulf of Mexico.
Habitat Associations
Between 45 and 290 m depth, associated with mud bottoms.
Mud bottoms.
Biology
Maximum known size is 253 mm SL.
Found on muddy bottoms. Marketed mostly fresh.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2013-01-29. Resilience: Medium (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: minor commercial.
References
Hoese 1958
Hoese and Moore 1977
Hoese and Moore 1998
Dooley 1978
Dooley 2002
Matsuura 1983d
Robins and Ray 1986
Boschung 1991
Schaldach et al. 1997
Smith 1997
Dooley, J.K. (1978) Branchiostegidae. In W. Fischer (ed.) FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. West Atlantic (Fishing Area 31). Volume 1. FAO, Rome.
Robins, C.R. and G.C. Ray (1986) A field guide to Atlantic coast fishes of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, U.S.A. 354 p.
Dooley, J.K. (1978) Systematics and biology of the tilefishes (Perciformes: Branchiostegidae and Malacanthidae) with descriptions of two new species. NOAA Tech. Rep. NMFS Circ. No. 411:1-78.
Sierra, L.M., R. Claro and O.A. Popova (1994) Alimentacion y relaciones tróficas. p. 263-284. In Rodolfo Claro (ed.) Ecología de los Peces Marinos de Cuba. Instituto de Oceanología Academia de Ciencias de Cuba and Centro de Investigaciones de Quintana Roo, Mexico.
Comments On Caulolatilus intermedius