Aluterus scriptus (Osbeck, 1765)
Scribbled leatherjacket filefish

Scribbled leatherjacket Tiwarik,  Navuvuyas,  Pakol,  Panitan,  Sagok-sok,  Sagoksok,  Sagugsok,  Samarang,  Sulay bagyo,  Sulyo bagyo, 

Aluterus scriptus
photo by Wirtz, P.

 Family:  Monacanthidae (Filefishes)
 Max. size:  110 cm TL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 2,500.0 g
 Environment:  reef-associated; depth range 3 - 120 m
 Distribution:  Circumtropical. Western Atlantic: Nova Scotia, Canada and northern Gulf of Mexico to Brazil (Ref. 7251). Eastern Atlantic: St. Paul's Rocks (Ref. 13121), Cape Verde and Ascension Island (Ref. 3592); São Tomé Island (Ref. 34088); South Africa (Ref. 4421). Pacific Ocean: southern Japan to the southern Great Barrier Reef, New Caledonia and Easter Island (Ref. 37816). In the eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California to Colombia (Ref. 9318).
 Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 2-2; Dorsal soft rays (total): 43-50; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 46-52. Snout concave (Ref. 1602); olive brown to grey in color, juveniles may be yellowish brown with dark spots (Ref. 4421). Elongate, strongly compressed filefish; tan with blue lines and spots. Caudal fin rounded (Ref. 26938) and long (Ref. 13442). Gill opening oblique, pelvic terminus rudimentary or absent; body and head with scattered small black spots (Ref. 13442).
 Biology:  Inhabit lagoon and seaward reefs (Ref. 9710). Occasionally are seen under floating objects (Ref. 1602). Juveniles may travel with weed rafts in open ocean for a long time and reaching a large size. Adults are usually seen along deep coastal slopes or outer reef drop-offs in about 20 meters depth (Ref. 48637). Benthopelagic (Ref. 58302). Feed on algae, seagrass, hydrozoans, gorgonians, colonial anemones, and tunicates. Caught at the surface using a hand net (Ref. 26165).
 IUCN Red List Status:   (Ref. 96402)
 Threat to humans:  reports of ciguatera poisoning
 Country info:  Known from Puerto Princesa, Palawan (Ref. 58652), and Bantayan Is. in northern Cebu (Ref. 114734). Flesh is poisonous (Ref. 12745). Also Ref. 1602.

 Entered by: Froese, Rainer - 02.05.91
 Modified by: Sampang-Reyes, Arlene G. - 31.03.10
 Checked by: Garilao, Cristina V. - 05.07.95

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Page created by Jen, 05.08.02, php script by kbanasihan 06/09/2010 ,  last modified by dsantos, 20/08/10