whitespotted filefish
Cantherhines dumerilii
Filefish of coral reefs far from the coast and oceanic islands of the eastern Pacific, which feeds on coral tips, algae and sponges. It is rarely caught on rod and is also collected for aquariums.
Also called: cangulo-vagabundo, lija vagabunda, puerco isleño, whitespotted filefish
- maximum
- 38 cm
- depth
- 6–35 m
who is the whitespotted filefish
The wandering filefish is of the family Monacanthidae and reaches 38 cm. It lives on coral reefs far from the coast and around oceanic islands, generally from 6 to 35 m, alone or in pairs. It is shy and quickly flees into caves and large cracks in the reef when threatened. Juveniles are pelagic and appear under floating objects. It eats the tips of branching corals, algae, sponges, sea urchins and mollusks. It occurs in the eastern Pacific, from Mexico to Colombia, and also in the Indo-Pacific, as far as Japan and Hawaii. It has commercial and aquarium use.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the whitespotted filefish.
fun facts
- Juveniles are pelagic and appear under floating objects.
identification
Filefish with a tall, short body, ground color gray-brown to yellowish, and about twelve dark vertical bars. The lips are whitish. The soft part of the dorsal fin, the anal fin and the pectorals are pale yellow, and the caudal fin is orange with dark rays. Adult males have longer, deeper orange spines on the tail stalk, and their eyes and tail are a brighter orange.
Loading the next 7 days…
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
Occurs in the eastern Pacific, from Mexico to Colombia, on coral reefs and near oceanic islands.
Habitat: Coral reefs far from the coast and around oceanic islands, generally from 6 to 35 m, in caves and crevices.
rules for the whitespotted filefish
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
Poses no danger to anglers. The spines on the tail stalk of males call for care when handling the fish.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.02344, b = 2.93; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Cantherhines dumerilii (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Cantherhines dumeriliiNames by country and language.