---
title: Filefishes (Monacanthidae)
scientific_name: Monacanthidae
common_name: Filefishes
rank: Family
published: 2024-11-19T18:41:51.573Z
updated: 2026-08-03T20:56:05.125Z
tags: Filefishes, Monacanthidae, Red Sea, Marine Life, Diving
url: https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/bony-fishes/filefishes
---

# Filefishes (*Monacanthidae*)

## Quick facts

- **Rank:** Family
- **Scientific name:** Monacanthidae
- **Body shape:** Oval - Egg-shaped body, deeper than it is thick - damselfishes, surgeonfishes.
- **Species listed here:** 10

## How to recognise this group

- rhomboid body, laterally compressed
- single prominent dorsal spine
- small terminal mouth

Filefishes (Monacanthidae) are rhomboid-shaped, laterally compressed fishes recognized by their rough, sandpapery skin, from which their common name derives. Their head features a small, terminal mouth with specialized incisor teeth and an often tapered snout. A single, retractable dorsal spine is secured by a smaller second spine, a feature that gave the family Monacanthidae its name, meaning "one thorn" in Greek. Most species grow to less than 60 cm (24 in) in length, though some can reach 110 cm (43 in). Their colour patterns are diverse, often cryptic, with some species exhibiting sexual dimorphism.

Filefishes inhabit shallow waters down to 30 m (100 ft), found on seaward reefs, in lagoons, and among seagrass beds. They move slowly, encountered solitary, in pairs, or small groups. Some species drift head-downwards, camouflaged among vegetation. When threatened, they retreat into reef crevices, erecting their dorsal spine and a bony pelvic dewlap to wedge themselves securely. Their diet varies across species, including algae, seagrass, and benthic invertebrates such as tunicates, gorgonians, hydrozoans, and some corals.


## Species (10)

- [Broom Filefish (Amanses scopas)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/bony-fishes/filefishes/broom-filefish)
- [Faintstripe Filefish (Paramonacanthus pusillus)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/bony-fishes/filefishes/faintstripe-filefish)
- [Fuzzy Filefish (Paramonacanthus nematophorus)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/bony-fishes/filefishes/fuzzy-filefish)
- [Honeycomb Filefish (Cantherhines pardalis)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/bony-fishes/filefishes/honeycomb-filefish)
- [Lozenge filefish (Stephanolepis diaspros)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/bony-fishes/filefishes/lozenge-filefish)
- [Orange Spotted Filefish (Oxymonacanthus longirostris)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/bony-fishes/filefishes/orange-spotted-filefish)
- [Randall’s Filefish (Pervagor randalli)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/bony-fishes/filefishes/randalls-filefish)
- [Red Sea Longnose Filefish (Oxymonacanthus halli)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/bony-fishes/filefishes/red-sea-longnose-filefish)
- [Scrawled Filefish (Aluterus scriptus)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/bony-fishes/filefishes/scrawled-filefish)
- [Unicorn Filefish (Aluterus monoceros)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/bony-fishes/filefishes/unicorn-filefish)

---

*Source: [Red Sea Creatures](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/bony-fishes/filefishes)*
*Updated: August 3, 2026*