 The predators of the tilefish are poorly understood . Juveniles can be preyed upon by dogfish or conger eels , which are prey for adult tilefish . Sharks have been presumed be predators of the tilefish , but there is no evidence of free @-@ swimming tilefish being attacked by dusky sharks or sandbar sharks . The one listed predator for the tilefish is the goosefish . Two studies in the 1980s concluded that the function of the tilefish 's burrows were predator avoidance , but this has been disputed because chased tilefish try to out @-@ swim its predators rather than entering its burrow to seek shelter . 
