Stephanolepis hispidus (Linnaeus, 1766)

Scientific Nomenclature

Planehead filefish, scientifically Stephanolepis hispidus (Linnaeus, 1766), grow to a maximum length of 27 cm (11 in), with a more typical length of around 17 cm (6.7 in).

Coloration

Their colouration is cryptic, with mottled pale brown, olive, or green tones over a light-coloured background, and they sometimes have darker brown splotches and streaks.

Body Shape

This species has laterally compressed, deep bodies, with an elongated snout and a terminal mouth.

Head and Dorsal Fin Spine

Their large yellow eyes are positioned high on the head, and a prominent retractable spine sits above the eyes; this is the anterior of two spines connected to the long dorsal fin, which also holds 29 to 35 soft rays.

Anal Fin Structure

The anal fin has no spines and contains between 30 and 35 soft rays.

Pectoral and Tail Fins

The pectoral fins are small, while the tail fin is large and fan-shaped, and often marked with two darker-coloured bands.

Sexual Dimorphism

Planehead filefish are sexually dimorphic.

Male Secondary Sexual Traits

In mature males, the second soft ray of the dorsal fin becomes greatly elongated, reaching between 104 and 128 mm, and scales on either side of the caudal peduncle develop into a patch of bristles.

Female Sexual Traits

Females do not develop these secondary sexual characteristics.

Body Depth Sexual Variation

Females also tend to have a greater body depth than males, though this trait varies in both sexes and overlapping measurements have been recorded.

Depth Range

The planehead filefish occurs in the Atlantic Ocean at depths reaching up to 300 m (980 ft).

Geographic Distribution

Its range extends from Nova Scotia to Uruguay in the western Atlantic, and from the Canary Islands to Angola in the eastern Atlantic.

Habitat

It lives near the seabed on reefs, and over sandy and muddy sea floors, and is often found among Sargassum seaweed.

Human Edibility

This species is edible for human consumption.

Local Catch Method

In the Canary Islands, it is caught in fish traps.

Commercial Fishery Status

It was once considered an incidental by-catch caught alongside other more desirable fish, but it has been a targeted commercial species since the 1980s.

Conservation Concern

By 2000, concerns about overfishing of this species had emerged.