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Sunda goatfish (Upeneus sundaicus) — Mullidae

Sunda goatfish

Upeneus sundaicus
Family: Mullidae
LC · Least Concern

The Sunda goatfish (Upeneus sundaicus) is a brackish-water fish of the family Mullidae that grows up to 22 cm.

Length
22 cm
Water
Brackish
Depth
20.0–60.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Small groups
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The Sunda goatfish is a goatfish from the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to about 22 cm and has a slender, reddish to silvery body and a pair of long chin barbels with which it probes sand and mud for food. As a bottom-dweller it lives in coastal and estuarine water to about 60 metres depth and feeds on small bottom crustaceans, worms and molluscs. It is a local food fish. The IUCN assesses the species as Least Concern (LC).

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Sunda goatfish?

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

Where does the Sunda goatfish live?

The Sunda goatfish lives in brackish water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Sunda goatfish get?

The Sunda goatfish grows to a maximum of about 22 cm. On average the species is around 14 cm.

Is the Sunda goatfish dangerous to humans?

No, the Sunda goatfish is harmless to humans.

Is the Sunda goatfish edible?

Yes, the Sunda goatfish is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Sunda-koraalmeerval verified
English name
Sunda goatfish verified
Scientific name
Upeneus sundaicus
Family
Mullidae
Other names
Ochreband goatfish; Ochrebanded goatfish; Ochre-banded goatfish verified

Appearance

Size class
Medium verified
Max length (cm)
22.0 verified
Average length (cm)
14.0 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
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Brackish sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
20.0 verified
Max depth (m)
60.0 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 met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. inferred
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 Upeneus

More from the family Mullidae

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