Cantherhines macrocerus
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[2] With a maximum length of around 18 inches, they are smaller than the scrawled filefish which is also found in their range.These fish are omnivorous; although they eat animals like sponges, stinging coral and gorgonians, and algae.These fish are non-aggressive, need plenty of places to hide, and will eat brine shrimp, krill and algae.
Conservation statusLeast ConcernIUCN 3.1Scientific classificationEukaryotaAnimaliaChordataActinopterygiiTetraodontiformesMonacanthidaeCantherhinesBinomial nameFloridaCaribbeanCantherhines dumeriliiIndianPacific oceansscrawled filefishomnivorousgorgoniansbrine shrimpIUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesWikidataFishBaseiNaturalistObservation.orgOpen Tree of Life