I am midway through redoing a portion of my own living room floor with tile. This is yet another step in preparation for my newest aquarium. I didn't like the idea of the aquarium sitting directly on carpet and, with the assistance of my father, the floor is now complete with a 4'x 10' patch of tile. As the aquarium nears completion the thought of the aquascaping design begins to become a more frequent exercise for my mind. I go over the details with the old man <again>, and he jokingly quips that I should tile the bottom of the aquarium. In a feeble attempt to humor Dad, I inquire as to why I would do that. No sooner did I question his rationale than I had an inner feeling of regret. Surely, I had been set up. Although I was unsure of the reply I would receive, it did not catch me off guard.

"So you can have Tilefish, of course!" was his retort.

<Sigh>

Despite my father's humor taking a hit from spending so much time babysitting his grandchildren, he did at least plant the Tilefish nugget into my noggin. So, in honor of bad humor everywhere, I would like to review the Tilefish of the marine fish genus Hoplolatilus this month, and follow-up with a discussion of Malacanthus next month.

Meet the Family

All Tilefishes fall under the family name of Malacanthidae. This family name has been divided into two subfamilies, Malacanthinae and Latilinae. It is unlikely that I will feature Latilinae in another column as they are most often used as food fish, but I will instead follow the path laid by the Sand Tilefishes or rather, the subfamily Malacanthinae.

Malacanthinae, naturally called the Sand Tilefish subfamily because all 14 species relate to the seafloor's open sand, contains the two genera which will be featured in the next two editions of this column. Hoplolatilus contains 11 species as noted below.

The above list began taking shape in 1887 when Gunther made the genus' first description by discovering and discussing Hoplolatilus fronticinctus. Information about the genus or any new species remained mostly unheard of, other than the occasional unidentified postlarvae collected in nets, until Smith (1963) discovered H. fourmanoiri in Vietnam's waters. Subsequent discoveries soon followed with further underwater exploration.

The first publication to take the work of Gunther (1887), Smith (1963) and Fourmanoir (1965, 1969, 1970, 1971) a step further was the work of Clark and Ben-Tuvia (1973), which also described a subgenus of Hoplolatilus - Asymmetrurus. Whereas Asymmetrurus is known to have 25 vertebrae and a prolonged upper lobe on its caudal fin, the subgenus Hoplolatilus has 24 vertebrae and a forked caudal fin. The studies of Clark and Ben-Tuvia (1973) were further expanded upon by Randall (1974) when he described two new species along with his genus revision, but this reference quickly became outdated by the discovery of several new species. Burgess (1978) described two additional species, not to mention Randall partnering with Klausewitz et al (1978) to re-align the genus even further. With continued exploration into deeper waters than was previously possible, two more species were added before the final addition of H. pohle by Earle & Pyle (1997).

A uniquely beautiful and appropriately named Hoplolatilus is the Skunk Tilefish, Hoplolatilus marcosi. Unfortunately, its deep natural home range, which starts at 100' and drops from there, generally makes this Tilefish a rarity in the hobby. Those that do arrive in the trade typically suffer not only from decompression sickness, but also from an inflated price tag. This is a misfortune to hobbyists because at four inches of length as adults, they are a great size and make an attractive addition to many home aquariums.

In the Wild

Hoplolatilus species do not stretch into Atlantic waters whatsoever, and are completely confined to the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The Philippines must maintain some prime Tilefish "real estate," as their seafloor maintains quite a diversity of species. The majority of Hoplolatilus can be photographed around the Philippines and most of Indonesia. The few species that inhabit outlying areas are H. luteus, which has been recorded in Flores and possibly Bali; H. purpureus, which stretches into the Solomon Islands; and H. starkii, possibly the genus' most geographically diverse species, which is found within a circle encompassing Marianas to the north, the Pircairn Group to the east, New Caledonia to the south, and finally over to Celebes to the west. Hoplolatilus cuniculus is the lone South African resident, H. fourmanoiri is the lone Vietnamese dweller, and no species is found in the Red Sea.

Deeper locales, which require scuba diving for effective research, are most often in Sand Tilefishes' shallow range. This obviously accounts for the majority of the species being discovered and described after 1970, and continuing into the 1980s and '90s with continued deeper explorations allowed by advanced diving technology. Although certain species such as Hoplolatilus cuniculus can be found in 10' of water or less, the norm starts around 60 feet for the subfamily and continues downward to 300' to 400'.

A Bluehead Tilefish, Hoplolatilus starcki. Photo courtesy of Greg Rothschild.

Open sand stretches are key for this genus; the subfamily wasn't tagged with the moniker "Sand Tilefish" because they relate to rockwork. All species except Hoplolatilus fronticinctus build a burrow into the sand, where they retire in the evening or hide from potential predators. The burrows are not made entirely of sand, however. The majority of the burrows are erected with rubble - and therein lies their problem. Their search for suitable rubble fragments is a never-ending chore. In contrast, Hoplolatilus fronticinctus collects rubble from nearby locales and constructs its burrow entirely from this material. These Tilefish are believed to be unable to bury themselves into the sand because they are heavier bodied than the other species, which may make it more difficult for them to get under the sand. Regardless, they are master architects, building elaborate mounds of rubble in the open sands which serve as their home.

Obtaining the rubble required for construction is perhaps entertaining for divers to watch, but no doubt frustrating for the participants involved. The rules are simple - all rubble is fair game no matter where it is located or who is tending it. Stealing rubble from conspecifics is not only attempted and moderately successful, but it seems the preferred method more often than not. Jawfish, gobies and just about any other den builders are also at risk of losing their accumulated rubble. The burrow is never finished being built; every morning, sometimes even after returning from a rock hunting trip of their own, there is rubble to replace. In the Tilefishes' world each day remains simple: eat, tend to den, mate, sleep, repeat.

The routine described above is a perfect lead-in to three required topics of discussion, and I'll begin with eating. Tilefish are planktivores that feed several feet above the seafloor. They spend any time not used in their search for rubble to hunt for food. This is done by hovering from 3 - 10' above their burrow facing directly into the current, and the water's flow brings prey items to the Tilefish. One gut analysis performed on Hoplolatilus starcki showed that copepods represented 31% of their diet, an additional 31% consisted of pelagic tunicates, and the final portion was occupied by fish eggs at 28%. A gut analysis of Hoplolatilus cuniculus showed that 58% of their diet consisted of copepods, 20% was siphohophores, 20% larvaceans, and only 2% fish eggs (Randall and Dooley, 1974). Despite Tilefish being planktivores, aquarium observations have shown H. fourmanoiri to utilize "hydraulic jetting," a hunting method whereby the fish spits a jet of water into the sand bed to search for crustaceans harbored within the substrate.

Little is known in regards to the Hoplolatilus species' reproductive nature. Besides some scientific collections of pelagic juveniles, and observers thereby making the connection that Hoplolatilus are pelagic spawners, science otherwise remains mostly in the dark on their reproductive behavior. They are not known to be sexually dimorphic or dichromatic (Michael, 2004).

Allow me to get back to the den to finish up this portion of the column. I have discussed how it is built and how large it can become, but I did not really touch upon its exact purpose. As might be obvious to seasoned hobbyists, this den is purely for protection from prey. Tilefish are not bold fish. In fact, they are anything but bold. At the first sign of danger Tilefish will drop to the seafloor alongside the entrance to their den. If the danger does not dissipate, the threatened Tilefish will disappear into the den quicker than a diver can blink his eyes. Only after the perceived threat has vacated the immediate area will the Tilefish once again extend themselves outside of their burrow to survey the situation. Finally, and presumably so, the Tilefish retire each evening into their burrow for a safe and peaceful night's sleep.

In the Home Aquarium

If I were asked to describe Tilefishes' care in the home aquarium with just one word, I would have to consider "delicate" to be the word of choice. Great care must be taken to ensure their prolonged success. The reward is well worth it, however, due to the exquisite beauty of some species, the interesting characteristics of all subfamily members, and the natural biotope that can be created by starting with Tilefish.

Given their diminutive size and lack of a natural defense, the small Sexy Shrimp stands little chance of long-term survival in an aquarium with an established pair of Tilefish. Photo courtesy of Greg Rothschild.

Fellow aquarium residents are a good place to start the discussion of what I mean by "delicate." Any fish going into the aquarium must be as peaceful, or more so, than the Tilefish. Tilefish spook easily, and fast swimming tankmates will tend to evoke a fright response in Tilefish more often than not. Surgeonfish, large active wrasses, butterfly fish and larger angelfish can all be crossed off the list of potentially suitable tankmates. Adding fish with swimming and feeding tendencies similar to the above species should be avoided, as well as any fish that gets larger than the Tilefish, for that matter. Ideal tankmates would be small gobies, jawfish, flasher wrasses, pipefish, comets and dragonettes. Corals are typically not at risk unless they are small fragments not secured properly. In that case the coral fragment will likely become a brick in the construction of the tilefishes' burrow. Mobile invertebrates are safe other than with the rare rogue individual who didn't read the same books and websites as the rest of his cousins. Even in this instance, only the smallest of ornamental shrimp are at risk.

Compatibility chart for Hoplolatilus species:

Fish	Will Co-Exist	May Co-Exist	Will Not Co-Exist	Notes
Angels, Dwarf	X			Add the Tilefish first; ensure the dwarf angel is a juvenile.
Angels, Large			X	Not a good choice as the Tilefish will be harassed or frightened.
Anthias		X		Assuming a large enough aquarium is provided. Add the Tilefish first.
Assessors	X			Good choice provided enough rockwork is available for Assessor.
Basses			X	Not a good choice as the Tilefish will be harassed or frightened.
Batfish			X	Not a good choice as the Tilefish will be harassed or frightened.
Blennies	X			Add the Tilefish first; watch for aggression from large blennies.
Boxfishes			X	Not a good choice as the Tilefish will be harassed or frightened.
Butterflies			X	Not a good choice as the Tilefish will be harassed or frightened.
Cardinals	X			Good choice.
Catfish			X	Not a good choice as the Tilefish will be harassed or frightened.
Comet	X			Good choice assuming enough rockwork is present for the Comet.
Cowfish		X		Generally peaceful, but perhaps large enough to frighten Tilefish as adults.
Damsels			X	Not a good choice as the Tilefish will be harassed or frightened.
Dottybacks			X	Not a good choice as the Tilefish will be harassed or frightened.
Dragonets	X			Good choice.
Drums			X	Not a good choice as the Tilefish will be harassed or frightened.
Eels			X	Not a good choice as the Tilefish will be harassed or frightened.
Filefish			X	Not a good choice as the Tilefish will be harassed or frightened.
Frogfish			X	Not a good choice as the Tilefish will be harassed or frightened.
Goatfish			X	Not a good choice as the Tilefish will be harassed or frightened.
Gobies	X			Good choice.
Grammas		X		Add the Tilefish first; ensure enough rockwork for the Gramma.
Groupers			X	Not a good choice as the Tilefish will be harassed or frightened.
Hamlets			X	Not a good choice as the Tilefish will be harassed or frightened.
Hawkfish			X	Not a good choice as the Tilefish will be harassed or frightened.
Jawfish	X			Good choice.
Lionfish			X	Not a good choice as the Tilefish will be harassed or frightened.
Parrotfish			X	Not a good choice as the Tilefish will be harassed or frightened.
Pineapple Fish		X		A peaceful nocturnal fish, but it requires more rockwork than normal for a Tilefish aquarium.
Pipefish	X			Good choice.
Puffers			X	Not a good choice as the Tilefish will be harassed or frightened.
Rabbitfish			X	Not a good choice as the Tilefish will be harassed or frightened.
Sand Perches			X	Not a good choice as the Tilefish will be harassed or frightened.
Scorpionfish			X	Not a good choice as the Tilefish will be harassed or frightened.
Seahorses	X			Good choice.
Snappers			X	Not a good choice as the Tilefish will be harassed or frightened.
Soapfishes			X	Not a good choice as the Tilefish will be harassed or frightened.
Soldierfish			X	Not a good choice as the Tilefish will be harassed or frightened.
Spinecheeks			X	Not a good choice as the Tilefish will be harassed or frightened.
Squirrelfish			X	Not a good choice as the Tilefish will be harassed or frightened.
Surgeonfish			X	Not a good choice as the Tilefish will be harassed or frightened.
Sweetlips			X	Not a good choice as the Tilefish will be harassed or frightened.
Tilefish		X		Avoid Malacanthus species.
Toadfish			X	Not a good choice as the Tilefish will be harassed or frightened.
Triggerfish			X	Not a good choice as the Tilefish will be harassed or frightened.
Waspfish			X	Not a good choice as the Tilefish will be harassed or frightened.
Wrasses		X		Add the Tilefish first; choose only small, peaceful wrasses.

The ever popular 75 or 120-gallon aquariums are a great size for housing these fish. Several individuals will coexist with other small and peaceful tankmates in relative harmony. In fact, it is important to maintain Tilefish in pairs or small harems, so when choosing an aquarium, the tank's size and the ultimate number of inhabitants should be taken into consideration. Always take caution to add the Tilefishes simultaneously or as close to simultaneously as possible, because once they are acclimated for extended periods, they may not take kindly to new neighbors.

With a trade name to match its pedestrian coloration the Pale Tilefish is not exactly the best looking Tilefish species for an aquarium. At least three distinct color variations exist, but none of the three stands out from the others in terms of beauty. As with most Tilefish, Hoplolatilus cuniculus is best kept in pairs in an aquarium. Photo courtesy of John Randall.

For ultimate success with this genus, the aquarium's decoration is of the utmost concern. The majority of the aquarium should be an open sand bed with extensive amounts of rubble available for piling. Any rockwork utilized in the aquascape should be for the benefit of its fellow aquarium dwellers, and not the Tilefish. Obviously, this area should be made as small as possible to make the featured species most comfortable. In addition to having a plethora of rubble available, large, flat pieces of rock laid upon the sand will be promptly put to use. Naturally, a deep sand bed must be implemented; one at least 6" deep would be a good start. Prior to the Tilefish's addition it's a good idea to create your own rubble mound, thereby giving the newly added fish an immediate place to dart. In the coming days as the newcomers settle in, they will begin the arduous task of reshaping their burrow on a daily basis.

Acclimation is typically slow as this species will remain skittish in its new setting for several days. Keeping other small dither fish in the aquarium will help facilitate the acclimation process, but still, a few days should be considered normal. Additionally, brightly-lit aquariums may inhibit the acclimation process as most tilefish are deep water species. Stony coral aquariums are, therefore, not ideal places to house Tilefish.

Food is a rather easy topic to discuss for this species. As planktivores, Hoplolatilus species feed directly from the water column. Early in the acclimation period it may be prudent to feed live gut-loaded brine shrimp, but hopefully once acclimation has progressed, a switch to frozen/thawed foods will be possible. Moving to frozen/thawed brine would be a good first food to switch to, but a more solid staple in their diet would be Mysis species shrimp. Over time the Tilefish will soon begin to recognize most items added into the water column as food.

Perhaps the most important concern with all Tilefish, and any fish which is easily frightened, for that matter, is a securely fashioned, tight-fitting lid on the aquarium. At any given moment the Tilefish may become scared and launch itself skyward. Without a good lid on the aquarium, the hobbyist should expect to find fish jerky sooner rather than later. This is one point I cannot stress enough. Get a tight-fitting lid over a Tilefish aquarium!

One last important tidbit to mention is the Tilefish's likelihood of suffering from decompression problems resulting in a ruptured swim bladder. Any Tilefish exhibiting difficulty hovering in the water column is a likely candidate for this malady, and thus should be avoided at all costs. Although I hopefully do not need to mention this, also be sure to watch the fish consume food added by a store employee, and give it a thorough visual inspection prior to purchase. The fish's failure to eat or any signs of injuries or abnormal growths should certainly eliminate its consideration for purchase.

Meet the Species

All of the species have a difficult time reaching 6" in length, and only one truly has a chance to succeed. Hoplolatilus fronticinctus, adorably named the Stocky Tilefish due to its larger than average size for the genus, may reach 8". Perhaps as a stroke of luck, this is an uncommon aquarium ornamental and is rarely offered for sale in the trade. If you are lucky enough to find one, try to acquire several. In the wild they live in small groups occupying burrows which infringe upon one another. Furthermore, a pair often occupy the same burrow, so purchasing this species as a pair would be ideal.

The largest of the Hoplolatilus species is H. fronticinctus, measuring in at roughly eight inches as a full-grown adult. Undoubtedly, many hours of thought were given prior to awarding it the trade name of Stocky Tilefish! Their large size also means that they accumulate a large pile of rubble - often measuring over 160 square feet. This is a difficult species to track down for the aquarium, perhaps rightfully so given its requirements for such a large rubble mound. Photo courtesy of John Randall.

A deep home range keeps the Green Tilefish from becoming more popular in the aquarium trade. One hundred feet is generally where a diver can begin to encounter Hoplolatilus cuniculus. This species is often found upon silt or even mud flats, in slight contrast to its kin.

Arguably the most attractive member of the genus is also one of its most delicate. Perhaps it is just me, but from my observations it seems like this is the case regardless of genus. Regardless, the Skunk Tilefish, known scientifically as Hoplolatilus marcosi, is a real gem if you can track one down. Again, obtaining at least a pair would be ideal. Like most members of the genus, their preferred deepwater habitat of 100' or deeper inhibits their availability, but don't fret; they are available if you look long and hard enough.

Another show-stopper of a beauty is Hoplolatilus purpureus. Naturally, from the Latin name you should be able to infer that this species is purple, but of course Mother Nature didn't give it a drab palette of a single purple color. Hues of blue, red and purple blending into a hot pink entertain the eyes and make for a desirable and attractive aquarium resident. The Purple Tilefish exhibits the same problems as most of the genus: its deep water collection sites and a delicate, if not outright nervous, persona.

Perhaps the most regularly available species is Hoplolatilus starcki. The Bluehead Tilefish, although still delicate and requiring peaceful tankmates, is also perhaps the most aggressive member of the genus. It maintains a greater distance between conspecifics than any other member of the genus, and is not afraid to chase conspecifics if they venture too close for comfort. Nevertheless, a pair should be obtained if possible, to better the success of acclimation.

	The Bluehead Tilefish, Hoplolatilus starcki, is truly blue-headed only as an adult. Juveniles are entirely blue, while both female AND male adults are blue-headed with a canary yellow body, thereby eliminating any hope of sexual dichromatism. This is perhaps the most common of all Hoplolatilus species for the home aquarium, which isn't a bad thing because they are quite attractive. The typical Tilefish warnings apply to this species: keep them in pairs and be cautious of decompression sickness. Photos courtesy of John Randall.

Coming Next Month

In Part II of the Malacanthidae feature I will conclude the discussion of Sand Tilefish. Malacanthus will be under the spotlight as I detail how, despite being close cousins systematically, the two genera of Sand Tilefish are still very much their own genus.

References:

Bloch, M. E. 1786. Naturgeschichte der ausländischen Fische. Berlin. Naturg. Ausl. Fische i-viii + 1-160.

Burgess, W.E. 1978. Two new species of tilefishes (family Branchiostegidae) from the western Pacific. Tropical Fish Hobbyist, 26(5): 43-47, 3 figs.

Clark, E. and Ben-Tuvia, A. 1973. Red Sea fishes of the family Branchiostegidae with a description of a new genus and species Asymmetrurus oreni. Bull. Sea Fish. Res. Sta., Haifa, no 60: 63-74, 8 figs.

Clifton, H.E. and Hunter, R.E. 1972. The sand tilefish Malacanthus plumieri, and the distribution of coarse debris near West Indian coral reefs. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus. Los Angeles County, no. 14: 87-92, 8 pls., 2 text-figs.

Dooley, J.K. 1978. Systematics and biology of the tilefishes (Perciformes: Branchiostegidae and Malacanthidae) with descriptions of two new species. NOAA Tech. Rept. NMFS Circ. 411: 1-78, 44 figs.

Earle, J. L. and Pyle, R. L. 1997. Hoplolatilus pohle, a new species of sand tilefish (Perciformes: Malacanthidae) from the deep reefs of the D'Entrecasteaux Islands, Papua New Guinea. Copeia 382-387.

Guichenot, A. 1848. Sur une nouvelle espèce de malacanthe. Rev. Zool. 14-15.

Gunther, A. 1887. Descriptions of two new species of fishes from the Mauritius. Proc. Zool. Soc., London 1887: 550-551.

Klausewitz, W., McCosker, J. E. and J. E. Randall and H. Zetzsche. 1978. Hoplolatilus chlupatyi, un nouveau poisson marin des Philippines (Pisces, Perciformes, Percoidei, Branchiostegidae). Rev. Fr. Aquariol. 41-48.

Lacepède, B. G. E. 1801. Histoire naturelle des poissons. Hist. Nat. Poiss. i-lxvi + 1-558.

Michael, Scott. 2004. Basslets, Dottybacks, and Hawkfishes. T.F.H. Publications. Neptune city. 296pp.

Randall, J.E. and Dooley, J.K. 1974. Revision of the Indo-Pacific branchiostegid fish genus Hoplolatilus, with descriptions of two new species. Copeia, no.2: 457-471, 12 figs.

Smith, J.L.B. 1963. An interesting new branchiostegid fish from Vietnam. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. 13, 6: 745-748.

Talbot, F.H. 1969. The branchiostegid fish, Hoplolatilus fronticinctus (Gunther), from the Bay of Bengal. Jour. Mar. Biol. Assoc. India, 11 (1 & 2): 309-310.