Species: Monacanthus ciliatus, Fringed Filefish

Monacanthus ciliatus (Mitchill, 1818)

Fringed Filefish

Body relatively deep (depth between origins of dorsal and anal fins 39-55% SL); compressed; snout relatively short (22-26% of SL), ; a small mouth that opens at front; teeth moderately strong, six in outer row on top jaws and six in a single row on bottom jaws; gill opening a short slit on side before pectoral base; 2 dorsal fins, 1st with II spines, 1st spine over rear 1/2 of eye, long, serrated at rear, toothed along front and sides, does not fold down into a deep groove, erectile, can be locked in position by small 2nd spine; 2nd dorsal fin with a distinct hump at front of its base, no rays elongate; pelvic fin rudiment evident as a spine protruding from a group of enlarged scales, those scales flexible dorsoventrally; scales minute, innumerable, skin rough; tail base of large juveniles and adults with 2-4 pairs of large spiny scales, those curved forwards in male; large males with a patch of bristles around spines; skin flap between pelvis and anus relatively large.

Variably mottled with brown, red-brown or green brown, with white and black patches, often an irregular elongate white mark along mid-flank from under eye back to about level of origin of soft dorsal.

Reaches 12.7 cm.

Lives on sandy and rocky bottoms, common in seagrass beds; juveniles associate with floating plants.

Depth range 1-90 m, usually in < 50 m.

Both sides of the Atlantic; in the W Atlantic from Newfoundland to Argentina.