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Green tilefish (Hoplolatilus cuniculus) — Malacanthidae

Green tilefish

Hoplolatilus cuniculus
Family: Malacanthidae

The Green tilefish (Hoplolatilus cuniculus) is a saltwater fish of the family Malacanthidae that grows up to 16 cm.

Length
16 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
25.0–115.0 m
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The green tilefish is a tilefish (Malacanthidae) from deeper sand and rubble water of the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to about 13 cm and has an elongate, green-grey body with a paler head. Characteristically it builds a mound of coral rubble and pebbles over a self-dug burrow, into which it dives when in danger. As a plankton feeder it hovers above the burrow and snaps at small zooplankton. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Green tilefish?

The Green tilefish has an elongate, eel-like body and is mainly green.

Where does the Green tilefish live?

The Green tilefish lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Green tilefish get?

The Green tilefish grows to a maximum of about 16 cm.

Is the Green tilefish dangerous to humans?

No, the Green tilefish is harmless to humans.

Is the Green tilefish edible?

Yes, the Green tilefish is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Groene tegelvis sourced
English name
Green tilefish sourced
Scientific name
Hoplolatilus cuniculus
Family
Malacanthidae
Other names
Green tilefish; Grey tilefish; Pale sand tilefish verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
16.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Green sourced
Tail shape
Straight inferred

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
25.0 verified
Max depth (m)
115.0 verified
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten inferred
Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Hoplolatilus

More from the family Malacanthidae

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