‹ Fish Finder· #305

Blacksaddle Filefish

Paraluteres prionurus

Bislamasanpepafis— names this kind of animal, not this species alone

Blacksaddle Filefish — photo 1 of 4
Photo 1 of 4 · Jens Petersen · CC BY 2.5 · via Wikimedia Commons
uncommonblackwhiteyellowsaddledschoolingsmallreef
Habitat
Reef
Max size
11 cm
Depth
1-25 m
Family
Monacanthidae

The blacksaddle filefish, Paraluteres prionurus, is a filefish of the family Monacanthidae. It reaches a length of a maximum 11 cm.

Adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Side by side, with what tells them apart.

Blacksaddle Filefish
This oneBlacksaddle Filefish
Valentin's Sharpnose Puffer
Look-alikeValentin's Sharpnose Puffer

Blacksaddle Filefish copies the toxic Valentin's Sharpnose Puffer to be left alone -- same white body, black saddles and yellow tail. Look at the fins: the filefish has long soft dorsal and anal fins running along the rear half of the body, and a spine it can raise above the eye. The puffer's fins are short and rounded, set far back, with no spine, and it can inflate.

See the Valentin's Sharpnose Puffer →

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