Faintstripe Filefish

The Faintstripe Filefish (Paramonacanthus pusillus) is a tropical marine fish known for its distinctive features. It inhabits demersal, or bottom-dwelling, environments, typically found at depths ranging from 28 to 79 meters (92 to 259 feet) in areas with muddy or sandy seabeds, often within trawling grounds. This species is relatively small, with a maximum length of 14.6 centimeters (about 5.7 inches).

The Faintstripe Filefish is equipped with two dorsal spines and a dorsal fin containing 25 to 30 soft rays, while the anal fin features 24 to 29 soft rays and no spines. The fish's vertebral column is composed of 19 vertebrae. Its body dimensions are proportionally measured against its standard length (SL) and head length. The body width is between 2.0 and 2.8 times the head length, while the body depth is 1.9 to 3.0 times the SL. The head length itself is 2.6 to 3.0 times the SL, and the snout length is 3.5 to 4.1 times the SL, with the eye diameter being 2.8 to 4.8 times the head length.

Geographically, the Faintstripe Filefish is found in the Indo-West Pacific region. This includes areas from the 🌊 Red Sea to 🇿🇦 South Africa and extends up to northern 🇦🇺 Australia, excluding the northeastern region, and reaches as far north as southern 🇯🇵 Japan.

The genus name "Paramonacanthus" derives from Greek, where "para" means alongside, "monos" refers to one, and "akantha" means thorn, hinting at certain anatomical characteristics of the fish.