Northern Tilefish

Tilefish

Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps

Size: to 42" and 50 lbs.

Habitat
Deep waters around offshore canyons

These strange deep-sea fishes are found in the walls of the offshore canyons, far below the range of scuba divers, although they are caught by deep-sea fishermen. Their population is extremely cyclical, with large die-offs from excessively warm water, and this precludes any long-term commercial fishery.

Tilefish
Tilefish

Northern Puffer
Northern Puffer - Sphoeroides maculatus to 14", usually much smaller

Puffers are highly intelligent, traveling in schools, and hunting cooperatively. They prey on anything they can dismember with their powerful parrot-like beaks, including other fishes and crabs. The body is short, fat, and stiff, with a disproportionately large head.