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Tilefish, Golden

(U.S. Mid-Atlantic, Wild-caught)

Rating:
Golden tilefish populations in the Mid-Atlantic are beginning to recover from being overfished while others remain in trouble.

Market Names:
Rainbow Tilefish, Golden Snapper, Colorful Tilefish

Consumer Notes:
Most tilefish found in the marketplace is golden tilefish.

Health Alert:
Environmental Defense Fund has issued a health advisory for tilefish due to high levels of mercury.

Summary:
Golden tilefish are long-lived, slow-growing, deep water species. Tilefish have a limited range and do not migrate, making it easy for fishermen to catch large numbers at one time. This characteristic, combined with the fact that tilefish are slow to mature, makes them vulnerable to fishing pressure.

The status of tilefish populations varies by region. In the Mid-Atlantic, golden tilefish have begun to recover from overfishing. In the South Atlantic, overfishing continues and is a high conservation concern. The South Atlantic blueline tilefish population is considered to be overfished and little information is available for either species for the Gulf of Mexico.

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