Joe Sanderson, age 9, of Utica, N.Y., for her question:

HOW LARGE DOES A TILEFISH GROW?

Tilefish are the most colorfully decorated ocean fish living in

northern waters. They are deep sea fish that live along the New England coast. The fish will grow to be three feet long and weigh about 30 pounds or more.

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

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 general?y believed that unusually strong gales which swept that part of the Atlantic repeatedly during the winter temporarily flooded the bottom with abnormally cold water.

An estimated 1.5 billion dead tilefish were found floating on the surface of the ocean. The fishery could not be re established for many years.