E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Wildlife of British Columbia

Caulolatilus princeps (Jenyns, 1840)
Ocean Whitefish
Family: Malacanthidae
Introduction to the Fish
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Source: Distribution of Caulolatilus princeps as compiled by Aquamaps
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Species Information

Dorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 24 - 25; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 23

Source: FishBase. Dooley, J.K. 1978 . (Ref. 8991).

Biology

Species Biology

Inhabits rocky bottoms (Ref. 9119). Also found on soft sand and mud bottoms. Solitary species. Digs into the substrate for food (Ref. 5227). reef-associated; marine; depth range 10 - 91 m (Ref. 5227), usually 24 - 55 m (Ref. 5227). Subtropical.

Source: FishBase. Dooley, J.K. 1978 . (Ref. 8991).

Distribution

Distribution

Eastern Pacific: Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada to Peru, including the Galapagos Islands; rare north of central California, USA.

Source: FishBase. Dooley, J.K. 1978 . (Ref. 8991).

Status Information

Origin StatusProvincial StatusBC List
(Red Blue List)		COSEWIC
NativeSNRNo StatusNot Listed
BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer--the authoritative source for conservation information in British Columbia.

Additional Range and Status Information Links

NatureServe Explorer
 University of Alaska Museum

Additional Photo Sources

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Images from Calphoto

General References

FishBase References
 Google Scholar Search
Recommended citation: Author, Date. Page title. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2021. E-Fauna BC: Electronic Atlas of the Fauna of British Columbia [efauna.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [Accessed: 2026-06-10 8:25:18 AM]
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