Editing Tilefish (section)

== Behaviour and reproduction ==
[[Image:Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps NOAA.jpg|thumb|250px|Tilefish live in burrows, sometimes forming undersea Pueblo villages. ''Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps'']]
Active fish, tilefish keep to themselves and generally stay at or near the bottom. They rely heavily on their keen eyesight to catch their prey. If approached, the fish quickly dive into their constructed retreats, often head-first. The [[chameleon sand tilefish]] (''Hoplolatilus chlupatyi'') relies on its remarkable ability to rapidly change colour (with a wide range) to evade predators.<ref name = sss>{{cite web |title=Chameleon sand tilefish (''Hoplolatilus chlupatyi'') |date=c. 2009 |series=Fish guide |website=SeaScape Studio Aquaria & Gifts |place=Sunset Hills, MO |publisher=Joe Faszl {{mvar|et alii}} [[doing business as|d.b.a.]] SeaScape Studio |url=https://seascapestudio.net/reference/fish.php?id=175 |access-date=7 March 2021}}</ref>

Many species form [[monogamy in animals|monogamous]] pairs, while some are solitary in nature (e.g., [[ocean whitefish]], ''Caulolatilus princeps''), and others colonial. Some species, such as the rare [[pastel tilefish]] (''Hoplolatilus fronticinctus'') of the [[Indo-Pacific]], actively builds large rubble mounds above which they school and in which they live. These mounds serve as both refuge and as a micro[[ecosystem]] for other reef species.<ref name=Schultz>{{cite magazine |author=Schultz, Henry C., III |date=July 2006 |title=Redoing the seafloor with tile: The subfamily Malacanthinae, part&nbsp;I |department=Fish tales |magazine=Reefkeeping magazine |publisher=Reef Central |url=http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-07/hcs3/ |access-date=7 March 2021 }}</ref>

The reproductive habits of tilefish are not well studied. Spawning occurs throughout the spring and summer; all species are presumed not to guard their broods. Eggs are small {{nobr|(< 2 mm)}} and made buoyant by oil. The [[larva]]e are [[pelagic zone|pelagic]] and drift until the fish have reached the juvenile stage.<ref name = Schultz/>