Appearance
- Golden stripe underlined with broader blue band, from snout to eye
- Dark brownish/gray to olive body with white belly
- No enlarged flap on top of head
- Long continuous soft dorsal and anal fins
- Head with black predorsal ridge
- Prominent stout preopercle spine
Similar Species
Other tilefish species, such as Golden Tilefish (Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps), yellowish enlarged flap on top of head; preopercle spine reduced to a soft blunt tab.
Size
Up to 30 inches, 15 pounds
Habitat
Offshore in deep water (normally 100 - 650 feet) around ledges and crevices. Prefer irregular bottom types with mud and shell hash. Common in water temperatures ranging from 15 – 23°C.
Behavior
Live up to 40 years.
Feed on benthic invertebrates such as shrimp and crabs, and small fish.
Spawning occurs from May to October, and females may lay more than 4 to 13.5 million free-floating eggs.