WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Yellowstripe Goatfish

Mulloidichthys flavolineatus

Also known as: Bait Goatfish, Gold-lined Goatfish, Pallid Goatfish, Samoan Goatfish, Sand Weke, Slender Goldband Goatfish, Square-spot Goatfish, White Weke, Yellow-lined Goatfish, Yellow-striped Goatfish

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2016
Adult
@fishx6 · Mirihi Island Resort, Maldives · February 20071 / 40
01

Overview

Found singly or in small schools, foraging for food over shallow sand patches and slopes, 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!

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-Pacific
  • Exact location · 7
  • Dive site · 1
  • Country only · 32
LIVES IN

Found singly or in small schools, foraging for food over shallow sand patches and slopes, of lagoons and seaward reefs.

04

Adult photos 40

05

Discussion 2

Comments are checked by a moderator before they appear.

2 comments

ALL STAGES
FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

Deep dive

Taxonomy

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classTeleostei
  4. orderMulliformes
  5. familyMullidae
  6. genusMulloidichthys
  7. speciesMulloidichthys flavolineatus (Lacepède, 1801)

SourcesWoRMSFishBase

06

More in the family

Goatfishes (Mullidae)