The golden tilefish is one of several bottom fish that are caught by deep dropping in the Mid Atlantic. This unusual fish can weigh up to 50 pounds and live up to 45 years. Tilefish eat small fish, squid, crabs, shrimp, shelled mollusks, worms, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, and other bottom-dwellers.
Golden tilefish live in burrows in the bottom at depths of 250-1500 feet. They are sometimes caught around the edges of offshore canyons. Both Washington and Norfolk Canyons are known for producing catches of golden tilefish, blueline tilefish, and snowy grouper.