Species: Caulolatilus williamsi, Yellow Barred Tilefish

Caulolatilus williamsi Dooley & Berry, 1977

Yellow Barred Tilefish

Body robust, quadrangular; head relatively deep, steep rounded in profile; fleshy ridge along midline before dorsal fin; eye small; operculum with a short, blunt spine; vertical edge of preoperculum serrated; mouth long, extends to under mid-pupil; no barbel on rear edge of top lip; 21-27 gill rakers; dorsal fin VIII, 22-23 rays; anal I-II, 23-25; tail fin slightly convex in center, with 2 sharp lobe tips; scales rough on body, smooth on head; pored lateral line scales 96-97; no scales on bone between preoperculum and operculum.

Top of snout and head dusky, lighter below; nape ridge not distinctively colored; eye golden; chin white; a small white patch under lower front part of eye; body violet grey, with 17-20 yellow wavy bars; belly white; a dark area with yellow area above that just above pectoral base; dorsal fin with yellow along front of spines and rays, soft dorsal with yellow margin, membranes translucent with thin dark bar between each ray; pelvics white; tail fin yellow below, a thin yellow stripe above that and a broad stripe to tail end above that, rest of fin grey.

Reaches 61 cm.

Lives on mud and rubble bottoms.

Depth range: 126-300 m.

Bahamas to the NE Caribbean.