Editing Filefish (section)

==Habitat and life history==
[[Image:American whitespotted filefish.jpg|left|thumb|250px|''[[Cantherhines macrocerus]]'']]

Adult filefish are generally shallow-water fish, inhabiting depths of no more than about 30 m (100 ft). They may be found in [[lagoon]]s or associated with seaward [[reef]]s and [[seagrass]] beds; some species may also enter [[estuary|estuaries]]. Some species are closely associated with dense mats of ''[[Sargassum]]'', a particularly ubiquitous "sea weed"; these filefish, notably the plane head filefish (''[[Stephanolepis hispidus]]''), are also coloured and patterned to match their weedy environments.

Either solitary, in pairs, or small groups depending on the species, filefish are not especially good swimmers; their small fins confine the fish to a sluggish pace. Filefish are often observed drifting head downward amongst stands of seaweed,<ref>{{cite journal|author= Gumanao G.S., A.R. Bos & J.E. Randall |year=2018 |title= Seagrass Filefish, ''Acreichthys tomentosus'' (Linnaeus), a master of camouflage |journal= Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation |volume=30 |pages=58–72|url= https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325737595}}</ref> presumably in an effort to fool both predator and prey alike. When threatened, filefish may retreat into crevices in the reef.

The feeding habits of filefish vary among the species, with some eating only [[alga]]e and seagrass; others also eat small [[benthic]] [[invertebrate]]s, such as [[tunicate]]s, [[gorgonian]]s, and [[hydrozoa]]ns; and some species eat [[coral]]s (corallivores). The latter two habits have largely precluded the introduction of filefish into the [[aquarium]] hobby.

Filefish spawn at bottom sites prepared and guarded by the males; both he and the female may guard the brood, or the male alone, depending on the species. The young filefish are [[Pelagic zone|pelagic]], that is, they frequent open water. ''Sargassum'' provides a safe retreat for many species, both fish and weed being at the current's mercy. Juvenile filefish are at risk from predation by [[tuna]] and [[dolphinfish]].