WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Longbarbel Goatfish

Parupeneus macronemus

Also known as: Band-dot Goatfish, Dot-and-dash Goatfish, Long-barbeled Goatfish, Long-rayed Goatfish

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2016
Adult
@fishx6 · Mirihi Island Resort, Maldives · February 20071 / 10
01

Overview

Found singly or in small schools, foraging for food over sand and weedy bottoms, of lagoons and seaward reefs.
Length 30cm

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

Head & Mouth
barbels

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Indo-West Pacific
  • Country only · 10
LIVES IN

Found singly or in small schools, foraging for food over sand and weedy bottoms, of lagoons and seaward reefs.

04

Adult photos 10

05

Discussion

Comments are checked by a moderator before they appear.

No comments yet. Seen one, or got a question about it? Start the discussion.

    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumChordata
    3. classTeleostei
    4. orderMulliformes
    5. familyMullidae
    6. genusParupeneus
    7. speciesParupeneus macronemus (Lacepède, 1801)

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

    More in the family

    Goatfishes (Mullidae)