Yellow goatfish

Yellow goatfish
Yellow Goatfish
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Mullidae
Genus: Mulloidichthys
Species: M. martinicus
Binomial name
Mulloidichthys martinicus
Cuvier, 1829

The yellow goatfish (Mulloidichthys martinicus), also known as yellowsaddle or goldsaddle goatfish (Parupeneus cyclostomus), is a white to pale pink fish with a yellow stripe from the eye to the caudal peduncle.[1]

Description

Yellow goatfish are tireless benthic feeders, using a pair of long chemosensory barbels ("whiskers") protruding from their chins to rifle through the sediments in search of a meal. May grow up to 39 centimetres (15 in) in length. They usually feed off of smaller fish, hunting in a school during the day, and alone at night.[2]

Distribution

Tropical waters of the Atlantic. The Yellow Goatfish can be found in the tropical waters around the United States, in the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and around Cape Verde.[3] They are not eaten.

References

  1. ^ "Fish Base: Goldsaddle Goatfish". Paris, France: FishBase. 15 July 2009. http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=5990. Retrieved 25 November 2009. 
  2. ^ "The Marine Center: Yellow Goatfish". The Marine Center. 1994–2009. http://www.marinecenter.com/fish/goatfishes/yellowgoatfish/. Retrieved 25 November 2009. 
  3. ^ "Mulloidichthys martinicus, Yellow goatfish: fisheries". FishBase. http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=1092. Retrieved 2008-10-26. 
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