american whitespotted filefish
Cantherhines macrocerus
Filefish of reefs and rocky bottoms with many white spots, from Florida to São Paulo. It lives in pairs and has no interest for sport fishing.
Also called: peixe-porco-manchado, peixe-porco, porco-pintado, chivo, cachúa lija, whitespotted filefish
- maximum
- 46 cm
- depth
- 3–20 m
who is the american whitespotted filefish
Fish of the family Monacanthidae (filefishes), with a tall, compressed body, living on coral reefs and rocky bottoms with sea fans, between 3 and 20 m. It reaches 46 cm. It usually lives in pairs, and it occurs from Florida and Bermuda to São Paulo, as well as the St. Peter and St. Paul Rocks. It feeds on sponges, sea fans, algae and hydroids, and also on stinging corals. It is valued for aquariums and is not sought after by sport fishing.
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 american whitespotted filefish.
identification
Adults are brown, with or without many large white spots on the body and head. The tail fin is black, with a curved white bar in the middle and two white spots at the base. Males can be told apart from same-size females by the larger spines on the caudal peduncle and by the orange color of a tuft of bristles in front of those spines.
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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
In Latin America it occurs from the Caribbean and northern South America to São Paulo, Brazil, including the St. Peter and St. Paul Rocks and Trindade Island.
Habitat: Coral reefs and rocky bottoms, between 3 and 20 m deep, with sea fans.
coast
rules for the american 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.
Conservation: Not on the Brazilian national list (Ministerial Ordinance GM/MMA No. 1.667/2026).
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.
Males have larger spines on the caudal peduncle, which can cut the hand. Handle with care.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.02042, b = 2.95; 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 macrocerus (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 macrocerusNames by country and language.
- official Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026: Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Fauna Ameaçadas de Extinção (peixes e invertebrados aquáticos)The species is not on the list. Checked in the DOU of April 28, 2026.