Galapagos Species Database
The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.
Caulolatilus princeps
blanquillo, cabezudo, Ocean whitefish
Elongate, heavy body with smallish mouth. Back silvery light gray to brown; belly white; may have some bluish tinting. Fins often yellowish and may have bluish stripes. Size: At least 50 cm
Habitat: Soft sand and mud bottoms; dig in bottom or food. Solitary.
Domain
Eukaryota
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Teleostei
Order
Eupercaria incertae sedis
Family
Malacanthidae
Genus
Caulolatilus
Species
princeps
Taxon category: Accepted
Syn.: Caulolatilus affinis Hildebrand, 1946, Dekaya anomala Cooper, 1863, Latilus princeps Jenyns, 1840, fide Appeltans et al. (2010)
Origin: Native
Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.
Distribution: Eastern Pacific; Southern California to Peru and Ecuador in the Galápagos Islands. Indo-Pacific. Brittish Columbia to Peru and all oceanic islands of the Eastern Pacific except Clipperton
- Appeltans, W. Bouchet, P., Boxshall, G.A., Fauchald, K., Gordon, D.P., Hoeksema, B.W., Poore, G.C.B., van Soest, R.W.M., Stöhr, S., Walter, T.C., Costello, M.J. (eds.) (2010) World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). Available online at http://www.marinespecies.org.
- Constant, P. (2007) Marine Life of the Galapagos. The Diver's guide to Fishes, Whales, Dolphins and marine Invertebrates, 307 pp.
- Grove, J.S. Lavenberg, R.J. (1997) The Fishes of the Galapagos Islands. Stanford University Press, Stanford California. 862 pp.
- Humann, P. Deloach, N. (2003) Reef Fish Identification - Galapagos. New World Publication, Inc. Florida USA & Libri Mundi, Quito, Ecuador, 226 pp.
- IUCN (2010) IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 26 April 2010.
- McCosker, J.E. Rosenblatt, R.H. (2010) The fishes of the Galápagos Archipelago: an update. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sc., Ser. 4, vol. 61, Suppl. II, no. 11: 167-195.
You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.
This page should be cited as follows:
"Galapagos Species Database, Caulolatilus princeps", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=7773. Accessed 5 June 2026.