Goldsaddle Goatfish

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The Goldsaddle Goatfish or yellowsaddle goatfish(Parupeneus cyclostomus), are Perifomes fish of the family Mullidae. The family is also sometimes referred to as the red mullets, which also refers more narrowly to the genus Mullus. Goldsaddle Goatfish yellowsaddle goatfish Parupeneus cyclostomus intotheblue.it

Triglia tropicale del Mar Rosso - The Goldsaddle Goatfish - Parupeneus cyclostomus - intotheblue.it
Triglia tropicale del Mar Rosso – The Goldsaddle Goatfish – Parupeneus cyclostomus – intotheblue.it

Goatfishes are characterized by a pair of chin barbels which contain chemosensory organs and are used to probe the sand or holes in the reef for food. Their bodies are deep and elongated, with forked tails and widely separated dorsal fins. The first dorsal fin has 6-8 spines; the second dorsal has one spine and 8-9 soft rays, shorter than anal fin. Spines in anal fin 1 or 2, with 5-8 soft rays. They have 24 vertebrae.

Triglia tropicale del Mar Rosso - The Goldsaddle Goatfish - Parupeneus cyclostomus - intotheblue.it
Triglia tropicale del Mar Rosso – The Goldsaddle Goatfish – Parupeneus cyclostomus – intotheblue.it

Many goatfishes are brightly colored. The largest species, the dash-and-dot goatfish, Parapeneus barberinus, grows to 60 cm in length; most species are less than half this size. Within the family are six genera and about eighty-six species. Goatfishes have the ability to rapidly change color, and many species adopt a pale coloration when resting on the sand to blend with the background and become less visible to predators. These changes in color are reversible phenotypic changes and happen within seconds many times during the lifespan of an individual.

Triglia tropicale del Mar Rosso - The Goldsaddle Goatfish - Parupeneus cyclostomus - intotheblue.it
Triglia tropicale del Mar Rosso – The Goldsaddle Goatfish – Parupeneus cyclostomus – intotheblue.it

The family name and the English common name “mullet” derived from Latin mullus, the red mullet; but other than the red mullet and the striped red mullet or surmullet, the English word mullet generally refers to a different family of fish, the Mugilidae or grey mullets. Goatfishes are distributed worldwide in tropical, subtropical and temperate waters. Goatfishes occur in a range of habitats.

Triglia tropicale del Mar Rosso - The Goldsaddle Goatfish - Parupeneus cyclostomus - intotheblue.it
Triglia tropicale del Mar Rosso – The Goldsaddle Goatfish – Parupeneus cyclostomus – intotheblue.it

Most species are associated with the bottom of the littoral, but some species of Upeneus can be deep; for example the goatfish Upeneus davidaromi can be found to depths of 500 m. Tropical goatfishes live in association with coral reefs. Some species, such as the freckled goatfish, Upeneus tragula, enter estuaries and rivers, although not to any great extent.

Triglia tropicale del Mar Rosso - The Goldsaddle Goatfish - Parupeneus cyclostomus - intotheblue.it
The Goldsaddle Goatfish – Parupeneus cyclostomus – intotheblue.it

Goatfishes are tireless benthic feeders, using a pair of long chemosensory barbles (“whiskers”) protruding from their chins to rifle through the sediments in search of prey. They feed on worms, crustacean, mollusc and other small invertebrate. Other fish shadow the active goatfish, waiting patiently for any overlooked prey. Goatfishes have the ability to rapidly change color, and many species adopt a pale coloration when resting on the sand to blend with the background and become less visible to predators. These changes in color are reversible phenotypic changes and happen within seconds many times during the lifespan of an individual.

(extract from Wikipedia)

Goldsaddle Goatfish yellowsaddle goatfish Parupeneus cyclostomus intotheblue.it

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