Madeira Canary Islands Azores – Fishes Dr. Peter Wirtz

Brown filefish (Stephanolepis hispidus)
Up to 18 cm long. Madeira, Canary Islands, Azores. 5 – 50 m depth.
Filefishes have small scales with tiny spines; their skin feels like sand paper and, indeed, was used as such in
old times. The pelvic fins are even more reduced than in trigger fishes. Like trigger fishes, they swim with
rowing movements of the dorsal and anal fins. The Brown filefish lives between plants over rocky and soft
bottoms. In the male, the first ray of the dorsal fin is elongated (insert; spotted night time colour of the animal)
but not in the female (photo bottom right). At the Azores, this species is only known from two animals seen in
a harbour, that is, it was probably transported there by man. Photos Peter Wirtz.
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Pufferfishes (Tetraodontidae)
Sharpnose puffer (Canthigaster capistrata)
Up to 10 cm long. Madeira, Canary Islands, Azores. 2 – 40 m depth.
The scientific name of the Pufferfishes is Tetraodontidae, which means „having four teeth“. The teeth have
fused into two large teeth, in the upper and in the lower jaw. When feeling endangered, Pufferfishes can
inflate themselves by swallowing water (insert, below).
The Eastern Atlantic Sharpnose puffer is now recognized as a valid species; previously, it was thought to be
the same as that in the Western Atlantic (Canthigaster rostrata). Females defend their territories against other
females and also against small males. Large males defend a territory that contains those of several females.
Juveniles (insert) like to hide between the spines of long-spined sea urchins. A very rare species at the Azores
(more records from there are needed). Photos Peter Wirtz.