American whitespotted filefish
(Cantherhines macrocerus)
General data
Whitespotted filefish or American whitespotted filefish, is a marine fish found along the coast of Florida extending southward into the Caribbean and also Eastern Atlantic: São Tomé, Gulf of Guinea. This species is distinct and separate from Cantherhines dumerilii, the similarly named whitespotted filefish which is found in the Indian and Pacific oceans.
The American whitespotted filefish typically has a brown or olive colored body, although it may also be grey. These fish can rapidly change appearance to a high contrast color pattern with a much darker background and many light colored spots.
With a maximum length of around 18 inches, they are smaller than the scrawled filefish which is also found in their range.
The American whitespotted filefish is often seen in pairs.
