Blueline Tilefish
Caulolatilus microps
The shelf-edge tilefish, deep-dropped a hundred to seven hundred feet down under a federal permit — told from golden tilefish by the missing head flap.
Typically present
Photo: J. Deeds / U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Food and Drug Administration — Public domainLong edge is 1280px, below this project's 1600px preference. Accepted because it is the best rights-clear, correctly-identified photo found for this species — see SPECIES_PHOTO_AUDIT.md for the source search record.
- Habitat
- Offshore waters
- Methods
- Offshore
- Difficulty
- advanced
- Eating
- fair
Identification
Look for
- No large adipose flap on the head — the key field mark separating it from golden tilefish, which has one
- A narrow gold stripe underlined in blue running from the snout to the eye — the source of the common name
- Dull olive-gray back, white underside, long continuous dorsal and anal fins
Local waters
Continental shelf break and upper slope, 98–774 feet deep, concentrated between the Hudson and Veatch canyons in the Mid-Atlantic
Primarily a boat fishery here — typically fished by offshore boat.
When to fish
Deep-dropped year-round when conditions and the federal season allow — a serious boat/gear commitment, not a casual trip, and a real component of the same fishery as the already-published golden tilefish.
Water temperature
The water, not the calendar, sets the season here — a warm October or a cold snap moves these bands.
Water temperature and the seasonsHow to catch it
Primarily a boat fishery here — typically fished by offshore boat. Technique notes for this species have not been written yet; the baits and rigs below are the documented starting points.
Bait & lures
- Deep-dropped squid or cut bait on electric or heavy conventional tackle
On the table
Eat with caution — check current Virginia fish consumption advisories for the specific waterbody before eating.
- Confirmed live: the same federal recreational tilefish permit golden tilefish requires (Private Recreational Tilefish Permit, or Charter/Party Tilefish Permit for for-hire trips) also covers blueline tilefish, plus mandatory trip reporting. 2026 recreational season is May 15–November 14; possession limit is 3/person/trip on private boats, 5/person/trip on charter boats, 7/person/trip on party boats, with no minimum size. Tilefish as a group is named on the FDA/EPA's 'Choices to Avoid' mercury list alongside shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and marlin — this project could not get a clean direct fetch of the current live FDA chart, but this is corroborated consistently across multiple independent secondary sources.
Where to try
