Slender Filefish

Slender Filefish
Name: Slender Filefish
Scientific Name: Monacanthus tuckeri
Family: Filefishes
Taxonomic: Monacanthidae
ID Group: Odd Shaped Swimmers
Size: 2 - 3.5 in.
Depth Range: In shallow waters (0 – 15 ft.)
Sightings: Seen sometimes

This small Filefish has a long snout and a yellow, brown, or gray body with a light, web-like pattern and dark spots. Its large belly flap has a yellowish edge with a blue-dotted line just inside.

The Slender Filefish can be found hanging vertically among soft corals and sometimes at the ropes of buoys, where its ability to change colors and patterns helps it blend in. It tends to be shy and moves further into the branches when disturbed.