Blue Blanquillo Tilefish Malacanthus latovittatus

Blue Blanquillo Tilefish
Blue Blanquillo Tilefish
Blue Blanquillo Tilefish
The Blue Blanquillo Tilefish is a sand tilefish native to reefs of the Indo-Pacific region. It reaches 45 cm long and can vary the intensity of its blue colour.
Blue Blanquillo Tilefish
Blue Blanquillo Tilefish
Blue Blanquillo Tilefish
It is carnivorous, eating worms, crustaceans, sea urchins and small fish. Mainly marine, it is known to inhabit brackish estuary waters in Papua New Guinea.
Blue Blanquillo Tilefish subadult
Blue Blanquillo Tilefish adolescent
The juvenile Blue Blanquillo looks initially somewhat like juveniles of the Ringed Slender Wrasse (Hologymnosus annulatus), with a thick black underside from tail to snout, a pale top and a shorter, less pointed face than the adult. The subadult above still has a much shorter face than the thick-lipped adult but the black lateral line has narrowed although it is still from tail to snout. Also the squiggly lines have yet to appear on the upper back.
Blue Blanquillo Tilefish with Bluestreak Cleanerfish
Blue Blanquillo Tilefish with Bluestreak Cleanerfish
Blue Blanquillo Tilefish with Bluestreak Cleanerfish
"I need to get a DNA check on that child - I don't think it's mine." (Blue Blanquillo Tilefish with Bluestreak Cleanerfish.)