Deepwater tilefish

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Deepwater tilefish
Temporal range: Middle Miocene–present
Great northern tilefish, Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Acanthuriformes
Family: Latilidae
Gill, 1862
Genera

See text

Synonyms

Deepwater tilefishes are a family, Latilidae, of marine ray-finned fish native to the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. As their name suggests, they inhabit relatively deep waters on the continental shelf and slope, below 50 m in depth, and as deep as 200 m.[1][2][3] They have a long life span, up to 46 years (females) and 39 years (males).[4]

Taxonomy

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They are related to the more slender sand tilefish (Malacanthidae) of shallower tropical waters, but appear physically distinct, having deeper bodies bearing predorsal ridge and heads rounded to squarish in profile. They were long maintained as a distinct family (Branchiostegidae) from the Malacanthidae[5], but more recent taxonomic authorities reclassified both as subfamilies of a single family, Malacanthidae.[6] However, the most recent taxonomic authorities, such as Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes, have returned to classifying both as distinct families, although the deepwater tilefishes are now placed in the family Latilidae, an older name for the family which Branchiostegidae is synonymous with.[7]

Genera

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The following genera are placed in this family:[1]

Family Latilidae Gill, 1862

Consumption

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Serving of Red tilefish Branchiostegus japonicus

After the 1882 mass die-off,[8] great northern tilefish were thought to be extinct until a large number were caught in 1910 near New Bedford, Massachusetts.[9] Commercial fisheries exist for the largest species, making them important food fish. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns pregnant or breastfeeding women against eating tilefish and some other fish due to mercury contamination. [10][11] Atlantic Ocean tilefish may have lower levels of mercury and may be safer to consume.[12]

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Tilefish live in burrows, sometimes forming undersea Pueblo villages. Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps

References

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  1. ^ a b Fricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Latilidae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  2. ^ Fricke, R.; Eschmeyer, W. N.; Van der Laan, R. (2025). "ESCHMEYER'S CATALOG OF FISHES: CLASSIFICATION". California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 2025-02-10.
  3. ^ Nelson, J.S. (2006). Fishes of the World (4th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons. pp. 357–358. ISBN 978-0-471-25031-9.
  4. ^ "Malacanthidae". DiscoverLife.org.
  5. ^ Dooley, James K. (1978). Systematics and Biology of the Tilefishes (Perciformes, Branchiostegidae and Malacanthidae) with Description of Two New Species. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service.
  6. ^ Nelson, J.S.; Grande, T.C.; Wilson, M.V.H. (2016). Fishes of the World (5th ed.). Wiley. p. 456. ISBN 978-1-118-34233-6. Archived from the original on 2019-04-08. Retrieved 2021-03-07.
  7. ^ Dooley, James K.; Iwatsuki, Yukio (2012-03-28). "A new species of deepwater tilefish (Percoidea: Branchiostegidae) from the Philippines, with a brief discussion of the status of tilefish systematics". Zootaxa. 3249 (1): 31–38. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3249.1.3. ISSN 1175-5334.
  8. ^ Marsh, Robert; Petrie, Brian; Weidman, Christopher R.; Dickson, Robert R.; Loder, John W.; Hannah, Charles G.; et al. (1999). "The 1882 tilefish kill – a cold event in shelf waters off the north-eastern United States?". Fisheries Oceanography. 8 (1): 39–49. Bibcode:1999FisOc...8...39M. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2419.1999.00092.x.
  9. ^ "Tile fish reappears". The New York Times. 2 July 1910.
  10. ^ "Mercury Levels in Commercial Fish and Shellfish". fda.gov. Food-borne pathogens and contaminants. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 1990–2010. Archived from the original on June 2, 2009. Retrieved 2011-09-14.
  11. ^ Kramer, Melody Joy (17 October 2006). "Fish FAQ: What you need to know about mercury". NPR.org. National Public Radio News. Retrieved 2011-09-14.
  12. ^ "Atlantic tilefish are absolved, F.D.A. advisory says ocean species low in mercury; fishermen vindicated". The East Hampton Star. Archived from the original on 2018-11-27. Retrieved 2016-08-04.