Common Name: Barred Filefish

Distribution: Uncommon in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific region, from East Africa to Polynesia, north to Japan, south to Australia. In Australia recorded from Shark Bay in Western Australia and offshore reefs to the north, from northern Great Barrier Reef to northern New South Wales and including Lord Howe Island.

Ecological Notes: Frequents offshore coral reefs, juveniles pelagic associated with floating objects. Depth to 70 m but usually shallower.

Additional Notes: Often solitary or in pairs, juveniles with evenly distributed small white spots across body, see photograph. Adults evenly coloured with a series of darkish vertical stripes toward rear of body, often whitish around the mouth. Feeds on tips of corals as well as molluscs, sponges and sea urchins. Grows to 38 cm.

References: R. Stuart-Smith, G. Edgar, A. Green, I. Shaw, Tropical Marine Fishes of Australia. Reed New Holland Publishers, 2015. p.451.

FishBase. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2018. World Wide Web electronic publication. http://fishbase.ca/summary/Cantherhines-dumerilii.html. Accessed 28/04/18.