| Family: |
Monacanthidae (Filefishes) |
| Max. size: |
61 cm TL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
reef-associated; marine; depth range 3 - 900 m |
| Distribution: |
Western Atlantic: Nova Scotia (Canada), Bermuda, and northern Gulf of Mexico to Brazil. Eastern Atlantic: Cape Blanc, Mauritania to Angola (Ref. 3592). |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 2-2; Dorsal soft rays (total): 32-39; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 35-41. Pelvic terminus always absent; head and body with numerous small round orange or orange-yellow spots; lips often blackish (Ref. 13442). |
| Biology: |
Usually found over bottoms with seagrass, sand, or mud (Ref. 3790). Juveniles are associated with floating Sargassum. Solitary or in pairs (Ref. 9710). Feeds on a variety of plants, including algae and seagrasses (Ref. 3790). Generally considered as trash fish, rarely consumed (Ref. 3790). Traded as an aquarium fish at Ceará, Brazil (Ref. 49392). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 27 February 2014 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
reports of ciguatera poisoning |
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