| Family: |
Mullidae (Goatfishes) |
| Max. size: |
22 cm TL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
demersal; brackish; marine; depth range 20 - 60 m |
| Distribution: |
Indo-West Pacific: Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka, extending eastward to Indonesia. Recorded from the Gulf (Ref. 37588); also from northwestern Australia northward to Japan. |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 8-8; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9-9; Anal spines: 1-1; Anal soft rays: 7-8. This species is distinguished by the following characters: D VIII,9; pectoral fins 13-14; gill rakers 4-5 + 14-15 = 18-20; lateral line scales 31-34; body depth at first dorsal fin origin 25-28% SL and at anal-fin origin 22-24% SL; caudal-peduncle depth 11-13% SL; maximum head depth 21-23% SL; head depth through eye 17-20% SL; head length 27-30%SL; orbit length 6.1-7.2% SL; upper jaw length 11-12% SL; barbel length 18-21% SL; caudal-fin length 26-29% SL; anal-fin height 16-18% SL; pelvic-fin length 20-23% SL; pectoral-fin length 21-23% SL; first dorsal-fin height 25-29% SL; second dorsal-fin height 16-18% SL; 5-6 weak, red or grey bars on upper caudal fin lobe (not retained on preserved fish); no bars on lower lobe, fully to partly covered with a reddish or greyish band (lost in preserved fish); a pale brown mid-lateral body stripe from behind eye to caudal-fin base (sometimes retained in preserved fish); no dark dorsal-fin tip; yellow barbels when fresh; body reddish or dark grey dorsally, whitish-rose ventrally; head with red or grey pigmentation at snout and above eyes (body may darken dorsally in preserved fish (Ref. 83903). |
| Biology: |
Inhabits coastal waters down to 100 m. Usually occurs in schools. Feeds on benthic animals (Ref. 2110). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 11 March 2015 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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