Golden tilefish, Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps, inhabit the outer continental shelf from Nova Scotia to South America, and are relatively abundant in the Southern New England to Mid-Atlantic region at depths of 80 to 440 m.

Most of the commercial landings are taken by the directed longline fishery. Discards in the trawl and longine fishery are a minor component of the catch. Recreational catches have also been low for the last 25 years (i.e., less than 1 mt caught annually), (NMFS/NFSC, 2009).

Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) categorizes golden tilefish as highly susceptible to overfishing, and populations especially in the US Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic are depleted. It is also indicated that fishing has drastically reduced Golden tilefish stock and reduced northern populations. Tilefish are most commonly caught by longline, sometimes in bottom trawls, and are a popular sport fish (EDF, 2011). 

Due to overfishing, stock was affected and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council implemented the Tilefish Fishery Management Plan (FMP) in November of 2001. Rebuilding of the tilefish stock to BMSY was based on a ten-year constant harvest quota of 905 mt.

It was suggested that Mid Atlantic Bight populations be treated as a separate stock and that South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico populations be considered as a second stock (Katz et al. 1983). This profile reports the northern population and distribution is shown in map.