WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Cinnabar Goatfish

Parupeneus heptacantha

Also known as: Bighead Goatfish, Blackspot Goatfish, Opalescent Goatfish, Redspot Goatfish, Smallspot Goatfish, Spotted Golden Goatfish, Parupeneus heptacanthus

Adult
@fishx6 · Lembeh, Indonesia · August 20081 / 7
01

Overview

Found singly or in small schools, foraging for food over mud, rubble, sand, and seagrass beds, of lagoons and seaward reefs.

Goatfish have two barbels extending form the chin, these are used to probe the sand for food such as worms, brittle stars, crustaceans and small fish.
They often have other fish in tow which hoover up any creatures left behind.
Some Goatfish can rapidly change colour and spots that were there magically disappear!

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How to identify

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

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Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Indo-West Pacific
  • Country only · 7
LIVES IN

Found singly or in small schools, foraging for food over mud, rubble, sand, and seagrass beds, of lagoons and seaward reefs.

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Adult photos 7

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Discussion

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    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumChordata
    3. classTeleostei
    4. orderMulliformes
    5. familyMullidae
    6. genusParupeneus
    7. speciesParupeneus heptacantha (Lacepède, 1802)

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Goatfishes (Mullidae)