Peter Taylor, age 8, of Orlando, Fla., for his question:

HOW LARGE DOES A TILEFISH GROW?

Tilefish are the most colorfully decorated ocean fish living in northern waters. They are deep sea dwellers that live along the New England coast. The fish can grow to be 3 feet long and weigh about 30 pounds.

The upper parts of a tilefish are bluish or olive green in color, blending into yellow or rose on the lower parts. The upper sides are dotted with yellow spots. The top of the head is reddish and is pure white below.

Tilefish feed chiefly on crabs and other fish. They can be caught on trawl lines and hand lines, with almost any kind of bait.

In 1882, the important tilefish fishery of southern New England was virtually wiped out by abrupt and major hydrographic changes. It is generally believed that unusually strong gales that repeatedly swept that part of the Atlantic during the winter temporarily flooded the bottom with abnormally cold water.

An estimated 1.5 billion dead tilefish were found floating on the ocean's surface. After that, the fishery could not be re established for many years.