Species: Malacanthus plumieri, Sand Tilefish

Malacanthus plumieri (Bloch, 1786)

Sand Tilefish

Body very elongate (depth 13-19% of SL), slightly compressed; head slender, profile rounded; no ridge along midline of nape before dorsal fin; preopercle smooth; a large, sharp spine at angle of operculum; dorsal fin IV-V, 54-60; anal fin I, 48-55; scales rough on body, smooth on head; lateral-line scales 135-152.

Body pale blue-green, darker above; sides may have light yellow bars; dorsal fin with thin yellow margin, then clear band, then yellow band, inner part with 3-4 rows of yellow spots; anal fin like dorsal; pelvics white; tail fin with yellow to orangish upper and lower margins, blackish upper front half; juvenile may have an orange stripe along the rear half of the flank.

Size: grows to 60 cm.

Inhabits open sand-rubble bottoms. Usually seen in pairs; live in a burrow of their own construction often under a rock and rubble.

Depth: usually 10-50 m, but extends down to 184 m.

North Carolina to southern Brazil.