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Malacanthus plumieri (Bloch, 1786)

Sand tilefish
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Native range | All suitable habitat | Point map | Year 2050
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Malacanthus plumieri   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Malacanthus plumieri (Sand tilefish)
Malacanthus plumieri
Picture by Randall, J.E.

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Eupercaria/misc (Various families in series Eupercaria) > Malacanthidae (Tilefishes)
Etymology: Malacanthus: Greek, mala = a lot + Greek, akantha = thorn (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Bloch.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 10 - 153 m (Ref. 9626), usually 10 - 50 m (Ref. 9626). Subtropical; 34°N - 8°S

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Western Atlantic: North Carolina (USA), Gulf of Mexico, and throughout the Caribbean to Rio de la Plata, Uruguay. Southeast Atlantic: Ascension Island.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 70.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 8991); common length : 50.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3644); max. published weight: 1.0 kg (Ref. 40637)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 4 - 5; Dorsal soft rays (total): 53 - 57; Anal spines: 1; Anal soft rays: 50 - 52. Caudal fin lunate.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Primarily a shallow-water benthic species found on sand and rubble bottoms (Ref. 5246). Builds mounds of rubble and shell fragments near reefs and grass beds; enters its mound head first when frightened (Ref. 5246). Feeds mainly on stomatopods, fishes, polychaete worms, chitons, sea urchins, sea stars, amphipods and shrimps (Ref. 3644). Tends to bite when handled (Ref. 5246). Marketed fresh (Ref. 5246). Between 1995 and 2000, at least 7 specimens have been traded as aquarium fish at Ceará, Brazil (Ref. 49392).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Dooley, James | Collaborators

Dooley, J.K., 1978. Systematics and biology of the tilefishes (Perciformes: Branchiostegidae and Malacanthidae) with descriptions of two new species. NOAA Tech. Rep. NMFS Circ. No. 411:1-78. (Ref. 8991)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 29 January 2013

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Traumatogenic (Ref. 5246)





Human uses

Fisheries: minor commercial
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource | Sea Around Us

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items
Diet compositions
Food consumptions
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Ecology
Ecology
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Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
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Mass conversions
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Distribution
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Visual pigment(s)
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Genetics
Genetics
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Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 23.6 - 28, mean 26.7 °C (based on 308 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.6250   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00537 (0.00236 - 0.01221), b=3.03 (2.82 - 3.24), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  3.7   ±0.3 se; based on diet studies.
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Moderate to high vulnerability (54 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Very high.
Nutrients (Ref. 124155):  Calcium = 20.7 [9.7, 39.6] mg/100g; Iron = 0.43 [0.24, 0.74] mg/100g; Protein = 18.8 [16.6, 20.8] %; Omega3 = 0.134 [0.076, 0.234] g/100g; Selenium = 23.3 [11.2, 46.6] μg/100g; VitaminA = 41.7 [13.2, 131.8] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.7 [0.5, 1.0] mg/100g (wet weight);