Scribbled leatherjacket filefish (Aluterus scriptus)

Scientific name: Aluterus scriptus Osbeck, 1765

The Scribbled leatherjacket filefish (Aluterus scriptus) is a marine fish of the family Monacanthidae.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 2; Dorsal soft rays (total): 43-50; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 46 - 52. Snout concave; olive brown to grey in color, juveniles may be yellowish brown with dark spots. Elongate, strongly compressed filefish; tan with blue lines and spots. Caudal fin rounded and long. Gill opening oblique, pelvic terminus rudimentary or absent; body and head with scattered small black spots.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Aluterus scriptus
Family: Monacanthidae (Filefishes)
Order: Tetraodontiformes (Puffers and Filefishes)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 110
Common length: 55.0
Depth range: 3–120 m (10–394 ft)
Environment: Marine; reef-associated; depth range 3 - 120 m, usually 3 - 20 m
Climate: Subtropical
Distribution: Circumtropical. Western Atlantic: Nova Scotia, Canada and northern Gulf of Mexico to Brazil. Eastern Atlantic: St. Paul's Rocks, Cape Verde and Ascension Island; S?o Tom? Island; South Africa. Pacific Ocean: southern Japan to the southern Great Barrier Reef, New Caledonia and Easter Island. In the eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California to Colombia.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Reports of ciguatera poisoning
Uses: Gamefish: yes; aquarium: commercial
Resilience: Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Assuming tm=3-4)