WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Spotted Goatfish

Pseudupeneus maculatus

Also known as: Copper Pilot, Goat Mullet, Queen Mullet, Red Goatfish

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2015
Adult
@fishx6 · Bonaire The Lake, Caribbean Netherlands · November 20101 / 9
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Overview

Found singly or in schools, foraging for food, over rock, sand, and seagrass beds of reefs.
Juveniles found in seagrass beds.

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 · Western Atlantic, Caribbean
  • Country only · 9
LIVES IN

Found singly or in schools, foraging for food, over rock, sand, and seagrass beds of reefs.

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Adult photos 9

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Discussion 1

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1 comment

  • widalys23· 21 Apr 2012

    I am from Puerto Rico and I have one of this goatfish in my saltwater aquarium I love it

ALL STAGES
FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

Deep dive

Taxonomy

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classTeleostei
  4. orderMulliformes
  5. familyMullidae
  6. genusPseudupeneus
  7. speciesPseudupeneus maculatus (Bloch, 1793)

SourcesWoRMSFishBase

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More in the family

Goatfishes (Mullidae)