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Banded blanquillo (Malacanthus brevirostris) — Malacanthidae

Banded blanquillo

Malacanthus brevirostris
Family: Malacanthidae
LC · Least Concern

The Banded blanquillo (Malacanthus brevirostris) is a saltwater fish of the family Malacanthidae that grows up to 32 cm.

Length
32 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
0.0–60.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Small groups
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The flagtail blanquillo is a tilefish from the Indo-Pacific and eastern Pacific. The species grows to about 32 cm and has a slender, elongate, pale grey body with a yellow and black banded tail. It lives on sandy and rubble bottoms near reefs, where it builds a burrow of pebbles and gravel into which it darts when threatened. It feeds on small zooplankton and bottom invertebrates. The fish is harmless to humans and is assessed as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Banded blanquillo?

The Banded blanquillo has an elongate, eel-like body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Banded blanquillo live?

The Banded blanquillo lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around stony or rocky ground.

How big does the Banded blanquillo get?

The Banded blanquillo grows to a maximum of about 32 cm. On average the species is around 27 cm.

Is the Banded blanquillo dangerous to humans?

No, the Banded blanquillo is harmless to humans.

Is the Banded blanquillo edible?

The Banded blanquillo is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Bandstaart-tilingvis verified
English name
Banded blanquillo verified
Scientific name
Malacanthus brevirostris
Family
Malacanthidae
Other names
Banded blanquillo; False whiting; Flagtail blanquillo verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
32.0 verified
Average length (cm)
26.5 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey inferred
Pattern
Plain sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Terminal sourced
Lips
Thin sourced
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous sourced
Dorsal spines
Yes sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Stone or rock sourced
Min depth (m)
0.0 verified
Max depth (m)
60.0 verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Small groups sourced
Territorial
Yes sourced
Activity
Diurnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
Fishing method
Vissen met natuurlijk aas (vis, garnaal, worm) of kunstaas dicht bij rif- en rotsstructuren. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Malacanthus

More from the family Malacanthidae

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