Teleostei (teleosts) >
Mulliformes (Goatfishes) >
Mullidae (Goatfishes)
Etymology: Upeneus: Greek, ypene, -es = upper lip (Ref. 45335).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; demersal; depth range 20 - 52 m (Ref. 123119). Subtropical
Western Indian Ocean: Red Sea to Oman, Madagascar, South Africa, Eastern Mediterranean (via Suez Canal).
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm 10.6, range 10 - 10.9 cm
Max length : 19.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 11441); max. published weight: 70.00 g (Ref. 124816)
Dorsal spines (total): 7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9. This species is distinguished by the following characters: D VII,9; pectoral fins 13-15; gill rakers 7-8 + 18-21 = 25-29. Measurements as % SL: body depth at first dorsal fin origin 21-24, at anus 18-22; caudal-peduncle depth 8.8-10; maximum head depth 18-21; head depth through eye 14-16; head length 26-380; snout length 9.5-12; orbit length 5.8-7.8; upper jaw length 9.9-12; barbel length 16-19; caudal-fin length 27-29; anal-fin height 14-17; pelvic-fin length 19-23; pectoral-fin length 18-22; first dorsal-fin height 18-22 with dorsal spines proportionally decreasing in height; second dorsal-fin height 13-17. Caudal fin of adults with 11-16 total bars, upper caudal-fin lobe with 5-6 reddish or red-brown bars, with 4-5 (rarely 3) bars distally from fork, and 1 bar close to lobe base, mostly narrower than the pale interspaces between bars; the ventral half side of lower lobe with 5-9 red, red-brown or grey bars, extending to a broad red, brown or dark-grey stripe along middle of lobe; inner, dorsal third of
lower caudal-fin lobe with 3-4 red, red-brown or grey bars; when preserved the caudal-fin bar pigmentation often retained; fresh fish sometimes with a faint
or (in life) conspicuous red or red-brown mid-lateral stripe from snout through eye to caudal-fin base, not retained in preservative. Colouration: barbels are white or creamy white in fresh fish; head and body colour white, pale grey or pale yellow ventrally and red brown or grey dorsally; the belly is white; when preserved the is body pale brown ventrally and often dorsally darkened (Ref. 123119).
Occurs in shallow littoral zone to 52 m depth (Ref. 123119); shallow dpeth from Khalaf et al., 1997 (Ref. 48643). Feeds on hypobenthic invertebrates, mainly crustaceans and, to a lesser extent, polychaetes, which they detect with their barbels (Ref. 43448).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Randall, J.E., 1995. Coastal fishes of Oman. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, Hawaii. 439 p. (Ref. 11441)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 19.3 - 27.6, mean 25.6 °C (based on 548 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00832 (0.00687 - 0.01007), b=3.09 (3.06 - 3.12), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.5 ±0.5 se; based on diet studies.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
Nutrients (Ref.
124155): Calcium = 118 [62, 269] mg/100g; Iron = 0.989 [0.472, 1.838] mg/100g; Protein = 17.7 [15.7, 20.0] %; Omega3 = 0.408 [0.250, 0.733] g/100g; Selenium = 17.9 [9.4, 36.6] μg/100g; VitaminA = 27.5 [8.4, 106.9] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.96 [0.57, 1.39] mg/100g (wet weight);
![Image of Upeneus pori (Por\](/images/thumbnails/jpg/tn_Uppor_u0.jpg "Image of Upeneus pori (Por\")
