Seafood & Gourmet Products

Tilefish, sometimes known as “the clown of the sea,” are colorful. They are iridescent blue-green on the back, with numerous spots of bright yellow and gold. Their bellies are white, and their heads are rosy with blue under the eyes. Raw Tilefish is pinkish-white; when cooked, it turns white and is firm and flaky. They mainly feed on crustaceans such as Shrimp and Crabs, and people often describe the Tilefish’s mild, sweet flavor as similar to Crab or Lobster. Tilefish is harvested from southern New England to the Gulf of Mexico. Today, the commercial tilefish fisheries in the Mid-Atlantic/Southern New England and the Gulf of Mexico are managed through individual fishing quota (IFQ) programs. While the specific details of these programs vary by region, in general, managers allocate a share percentage of the annual catch to participating fishermen. Fishermen can choose when to fish for their allocation throughout the year.