Whitespotted filefish

From the name, one might expect that all whitespotted filefish have white spots.  But of course, one would be wrong.  This species has an orange phase, where the white spots are not visible.  We frequently encounter these charming fish on our dives.  They aren't shy, and sometimes approach us.  On the reef, they often swim in pairs.  Within a pair, each fish has a different color phase.

This species reach about 18 inches, but the individuals in these photos were 12 to 14 inches long.  These photos were taken at depths of 30 to 45 feet.

Orange phase, but with white spots still partly visible

Whitespotted phase

Orange phase, with a curved file on its forehead

Whitespotted phase

The orangespotted filefish is a smaller relative of the whitespotted filefish.  This one was about 7 inches long, and the photos were taken at a depth of about 25 feet.

Orangespotted filefish, with its file erect

With the file folded down