Flagtail Sandtilefish

Malacanthus brevirostris, commonly referred to as the quakerfish, flagtail blanquillo, false whiting, or stripetail tilefish, is a marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Malacanthidae. This species is widely distributed across the Indo-Pacific region, encompassing the 🌊 Red Sea, the eastern coast of Africa, and extending to Hawaii (🇺🇸 United States) and the western coasts of 🇵🇦 Panama and Colombia. Its range also extends northward to 🇯🇵 Japan and southward to the Austral Islands (🇵🇫 French Polynesia) and Lord Howe Island. In the eastern Pacific, it is present at locations such as Clipperton Island (France), Malpelo Island (Colombia), and 🇪🇨 Ecuador's Galápagos Islands, as well as 🇨🇷 Costa Rica’s 🇨🇨 Cocos Island (🇦🇺 Australia).

M. brevirostris exhibits a long and slender body with distinguished features, including a rounded head and a pronounced, sharp spine located centrally on the gill cover. The species displays a predominantly greyish body with a subtle yellow tint on the head, complemented by distinct chevron-shaped bars across the back. The caudal fin is marked by two convergent black stripes on its upper and lower lobes. Structurally, the dorsal fin comprises 1-4 spines and 52-56 soft rays, whereas the anal fin contains a single spine accompanied by 46-55 soft rays. The species typically reaches a standard length of 25.6 cm (10.1 in), although it can attain a maximum total length of 32 cm (13 in).

This species is closely associated with reef ecosystems, inhabiting depths ranging from 5 to 50 meters (16 to 164 feet). M. brevirostris predominantly resides in barren and open areas along the outer reef slope, where it is frequently observed in pairs. These fish inhabit self-excavated burrows in the sand and seek refuge within when threatened. They possess a pelagic phase until they reach at least 5 cm in length (2.0 in). M. brevirostris primarily feeds on small fish and invertebrates.

The species was first formally described in 1848 by French zoologist Alphonse Guichenot, with the type locality recorded as 🇲🇬 Madagascar. The specific epithet "brevirostris" is derived from the Latin words "brevi," meaning short, and "rostris," meaning snout, in reference to the species' relatively short snout compared to its congeners.