| Family: |
Mullidae (Goatfishes) |
| Max. size: |
28 cm TL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 275.3 g |
| Environment: |
reef-associated; brackish; marine; depth range 1 - 45 m |
| Distribution: |
Indian Ocean: Red Sea into the Gulf of Aden and recorded from Socotra (Ref. 54393). Suez canal migrant and now established in the eastern Mediterranean. |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 8-8; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9-9; Anal soft rays: 7-7. Diagnosis: Pectoral rays 14-17 (usually 16). Gill rakers 7-9 + 23-26 (total 30-34). Body relatively elongate, the depth 3.65-4.2 in SL; head length (HL) 2.9-3.25 in SL; snout length 1.7-1.9 in HL; barbel length 1.4-1.5 in HL; longest dorsal spine 1.5-1.7 in HL; penultimate dorsal ray 1.15-1.25 in length of last dorsal ray; pectoral-fin length 1.4-1.65 in HL; pelvic-fin length 1.4-1.6 in HL. A broad black stripe is present from side of upper lip through eye along upper side of body, ending beneath posterior part of second dorsal fin; body above stripe grayish green, the scale edges yellow; body below stripe white, the scale edges narrowly reddish; caudal peduncle yellow dorsally with an irregular roundish black spot, mostly above lateral line; caudal fin yellow; second dorsal and anal fins with narrow blue and yellow stripes; peritoneum pale (Ref. 54393). |
| Biology: |
The most common goatfish in shallow water in the Red Sea. Usually found on sand bottoms near coral reefs (Ref. 3470). Feeds on invertebrates that live on sand (Ref. 13550). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 12 August 2019 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
Source and more info: www.fishbase.org. For personal, classroom, and other internal use only. Not for publication.
