WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Freckled Goatfish

Upeneus tragula

Also known as: Bartail Goatfish, Bar-tailed Goatfish, Blackband Goatfish, Black-striped Goatfish, Darkband Goatfish, Mottled Goatfish, Red Mullet, Red Mullet Goatfish, Spotted Goatfish

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2016
Adult
@fishx6 · Lembeh, Indonesia · August 20081 / 14
01

Overview

Found singly or in small schools, foraging for food, over sandy bottoms and in seagrass beds, of estuaries and coastal reefs.
Widespread East Indian Ocean, Western Pacific

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!

02

How to identify

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Eastern Indian Ocean, Western Pacific
  • Country only · 14
LIVES IN

Found singly or in small schools, foraging for food, over sandy bottoms and in seagrass beds, of estuaries and coastal reefs.

04

Adult photos 14

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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. genusUpeneus
    7. speciesUpeneus tragula Richardson, 1846

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Goatfishes (Mullidae)