Cantherhines dumerilii

Yellow Tail Filefish ( Cantherhines dumerilii )

The Yellow Tail Filefish ( Cantherhines dumerilii ), also called Grey Filefish, lives widespread in tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific from the east coast of Africa to the west coast of America from Mexico to Colombia. To the north you can find him still on the coast of Japan and Hawaii, south to Algoa Bay in South Africa, at Rapa Iti, Ducie and Lord Howe Island. Especially frequently it occurs to oceanic islands around.

Way of life

The fish hold individually or in pairs on outer reefs at depths of one to 35 meters. They are shy and flee in disorder in caves and crevices.

Juveniles live pelagic and often stay under floating objects on. Yellow tail file fish feed on the polyps Branched stony corals, sponges, bryozoans, sea urchins, molluscs and algae.

Features

Yellow tail file fish are up to 38 centimeters long and have a gray to yellow-brown, high-backed body. On the rear half can be seen twelve faint darker stripes. The lips are white around the eyes shows a yellow ring. Back, after-, and pectoral fins are pale yellow, the caudal fin is deep yellow to orange with dark fin rays. Males have on the tail a field bristly orange growths; the ring around the eyes and the tail are colored vivid.

Juveniles are gray-brown, the head and body are covered with round white spots.

Fins formula: Dorsal II/34-39, Anal 28-35