Home · Mullidae · Blue-lined goatfish
Blue-lined goatfish (Upeneichthys lineatus) — Mullidae

Blue-lined goatfish

Upeneichthys lineatus
Family: Mullidae
LC · Least Concern

The Blue-lined goatfish (Upeneichthys lineatus) is a saltwater fish of the family Mullidae that grows up to 40 cm.

Length
40 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
5.0–100.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Small groups
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The blue-lined goatfish is a goatfish from the southwest Pacific, along eastern Australia. The species grows to about 40 cm and has a reddish body with conspicuous blue lines over the head and flank and a pair of long chin barbels, characteristic of goatfishes. With these sensory barbels it searches sandy bottoms for small crustaceans and invertebrates, between 5 and 100 metres depth. The fish is harmless to humans and is assessed as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Blue-lined goatfish?

The Blue-lined goatfish has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly red-orange and shows a horizontal stripes pattern.

Where does the Blue-lined goatfish live?

The Blue-lined goatfish lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Blue-lined goatfish get?

The Blue-lined goatfish grows to a maximum of about 40 cm.

Is the Blue-lined goatfish dangerous to humans?

No, the Blue-lined goatfish is harmless to humans.

Is the Blue-lined goatfish edible?

Yes, the Blue-lined goatfish is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Blauwgestreepte koningsbarbeel verified
English name
Blue-lined goatfish verified
Scientific name
Upeneichthys lineatus
Family
Mullidae
Other names
Blue-spotted goatfish; Bluestriped goatfish; Blue-striped mullet; Blue-striped red mullet; Goatfish verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
40.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Red / orange inferred
Pattern
Horizontal stripes sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Inferior (downward) sourced
Lips
Thick / fleshy sourced
Barbels
Yes sourced
Dorsal fins
Two separate sourced
Dorsal spines
Yes sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
5.0 verified
Max depth (m)
100.0 verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Small groups sourced
Territorial
No sourced
Activity
Diurnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten sourced
Fishing method
Bodemvissen op zandgrond met aas sourced
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Upeneichthys

More from the family Mullidae

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