How to Identify White Spotted Filefish

Video Transcript

"The fish that we are going to identify now is the White Spotted Filefish. White Spotted Filefish are often seen without any spots and without any white on them at all. That's because the White Spotted Filefish can turn its spots on and off at will. When the white spots are hidden the White Spotted Filefish sports a two toned color scheme. Generally orange on the back half of the body and brown to a beige brown on the front half. When the white spots are turned on, the background colors also generally fade to lighter shade. White Spotted Filefish have very small upturned mouths with obvious teeth. They also have two bright yellow to orange spines on each side of the base of their tail. Their dorsal or top fin has a very long ridged spine at the front, which they use to anchor themselves into a crevice in the reef when they feel threatened. White Spotted Filefish are often seen traveling in pairs and each member of the pair often displays a different color scheme than the other. White Spotted Filefish are common in South Florida waters and in some parts of the Caribbean, especially northwestern and eastern parts. White Spotted Filefish are relatively large fish, usually ten to fifteen inches long. That's the White Spotted Filefish."