Malacanthus plumieri
Sand Tilefish
Collection Details
Specimens
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Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Malacanthidae (Tilefishes)
Malacanthus
Malacanthus plumieri (Sand 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.)
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Characters
Elongate and sub-cylindrical profile, very long dorsal and anal fins, forked caudal fin with elongate filaments on upper and lower corners. Dorsal profile weakly convex. Mouth terminal, with fleshy lips. Maxilla terminates distinctly anterior to anterior margin of orbit. Posterior naris enclosed in a tube with a flap. Upper jaw has three or four small, anteriorly curved canines, followed by 15 to 17 large teeth and one large, anteriorly curved canine. Lower jaw has four or five anteriorly curved canines, followed by four enlarged recurved canines, 6 to 9 small teeth, and one enlarged anteriorly curved canine. Both jaws have patches of villiform teeth on either side of symphyses. Pre-operculum lacks serrations on posterior and ventral margins. Operculum has one well-developed, sharp spine about three-fourths the length of eye. Gill rakers on first arch number 8 to 13. Measurements are expressed as percent of SL: head length 23%–28%, pre-dorsal-fin length 23%–27%, body depth 13%–19%; and as percent of head length: snout length 39%–52%, upper jaw length 35%–42%, orbit diameter 11%–25%. Pectoral fin is broad and pointed. Dorsal fin originates over pectoral fin base and has four or five weak spines and 54 to 60 rays. Anal fin has a single spine, followed by 1 unbranched and 48 to 55 branched rays. Scales are ctenoid on most of body but cycloid on thoracic region and head. On top of head, scales extend to middle of orbit. Pored lateral line scales number 135 to 152.
Color is gray to tan with bluish cast dorsally and white ventrally. Fins are yellowish, except caudal fin has orangish lobes and dusky area above center of fin.
Distribution
Cape Lookout, NC, and Bermuda to Uruguay, including the entire Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas, and the Greater and Lesser Antilles
Entire Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
Sandy, rough bottoms between 10 and 153 m
Constructs burrows out of broken coral and rubble
Biology
Polychaetes, sipunculids, echinoids, ophiuroids, chitons, amphipods, stomatopods, shrimps, crabs, and ray-finned fishes
Maximum known size is 600 mm SL
Primarily a shallow-water benthic species found on sand and rubble bottoms (Ref. 5246). Builds mounds of rubble and shell fragments near reefs and grass beds; enters its mound head first when frightened (Ref. 5246). Feeds mainly on stomatopods, fishes, polychaete worms, chitons, sea urchins, sea stars, amphipods and shrimps (Ref. 3644). Tends to bite when handled (Ref. 5246). Marketed fresh (Ref. 5246). Between 1995 and 2000, at least 7 specimens have been traded as aquarium fish at Ceará, Brazil (Ref. 49392).
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; mating system: polygyny.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2013-01-29.
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish.
References
Longley and Hildebrand 1941
Baughman 1947
Baughman 1950b
Hoese 1958
Randall 1968a
Randall 1996
Böhlke and Chaplin 1968
Clifton and Hunter 1972
Colin 1973
Bright and Cashman 1974
Smith et al. 1975
Hoese and Moore 1977
Hoese and Moore 1998
Dooley 1978
Dooley 2002
Robins and Ray 1986
Boschung 1992
Cervigón 1993b
Schaldach et al. 1997
Smith-Vaniz et al. 1999
Randall, J.E. (1967) Food habits of reef fishes of the West Indies. Stud. Trop. Oceanogr. Miami 5:665-847.
Dooley, J.K. (1978) Malacanthidae. In W. Fischer (ed.) FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Western Central Atlantic (Fishing Area 31). Volume 3. FAO, Rome.
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.
Cervigón, F. (1993) Los peces marinos de Venezuela. Volume 2. Fundación Científica Los Roques, Caracas,Venezuela. 497 p.
Randall, J.E. (1996) Caribbean reef fishes. Third Edition - revised and enlarged. T.F.H. Publications, Inc. Ltd., Hong Kong. 3nd ed. 368 p.
Whiteman, E.A. and I.M. Côté (2004) Monogamy in marine fishes. Biol. Rev. 79:351-375.
Comments On Malacanthus plumieri