Unicorn leatherjacket filefish (Aluterus monoceros)

Scientific name: Aluterus monoceros Linnaeus, 1758

Unicorn leatherjacket filefish (Aluterus monoceros)

The Unicorn leatherjacket filefish (Aluterus monoceros) is a marine fish of the family Monacanthidae.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 2; Dorsal soft rays (total): 45-52; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 47 - 53. Rudimentary pelvic spine disappears in large specimen. Snout convex in adults. Sandy to grey with small brown spots above; soft dorsal and anal fins pale yellowish to brownish; caudal membrane blackish brown.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Aluterus monoceros
Family
Monacanthidae (Filefishes)
Order
Tetraodontiformes (Puffers and Filefishes)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
76.2
Common length
40.0
Depth range
1–50 m (3–164 ft)
Environment
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 1 - 50 m
Climate
Subtropical
Distribution
Circumtropical. Western Atlantic: Massachusetts, USA to Argentina. Eastern Atlantic: west coast of tropical Africa. Eastern Pacific: Guatemala to Chile; probably in Mexico. Western Indian Ocean: Mozambique and South Africa. Recently recorded from Reunion.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Reports of ciguatera poisoning
Uses
Fisheries: commercial
Resilience
Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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