Sidespot Goatfish

Max length : 33.0 cm TL male/unsexed; common length : 20.0 cm TL male/unsexed; max. published weight: 906.00 g

Family	Mullidae
Description	Goatfishes
Environment	Brackish & Marine
Etymology	Latin, mullus = soft
Genus	6
No. of Species	87
Order	Perciformes
Class	Actinopterygii
Reproductive Guild	Nonguarders
Distribution	Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, rarely in brackish waters. Elongated body. Dorsal fins far apart. First dorsal fin with 6-8 spines; second dorsal with one spine and 8-9 soft rays, shorter than anal fin. Spines in anal fin 1 or 2, with 5-8 soft rays. Forked caudal fin. Vertebrae 24. Chin with 2 long barbels, which contain chemosensory organs and are used to probe the sand or holes in the reef for benthic invertebrates or small fish. Many brightly colored. Pelagic spawners. Up to 60 cm maximum length. Valued as food fish. Not popular for aquaria, but do well in right settings. Mullus (Latin) = mullet. Habitat: sand-associated, shallow habitats

Sidespot Goatfish

Primarily an insular species. Usually solitary, it occurs in seagrass beds as well as over sand, rubble, or coral and rock bottoms of shallow lagoon and seaward reefs to a depth of at least 46 m. Benthopelagic. Feeds on benthic animals like crabs, polychaetes and other worms during the day, also shrimps, heart urchins, gastropods, pelecypods, foraminiferans, brittle stars, and fishes

Dorsal spines (total): 8; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Anal spines: 1; Anal soft rays: 7; Vertebrae: 24. Diagnosis: Pectoral rays 16 (rarely 15 or 17). Gill rakers 6-8 + 21-25 (total 28-32). Body depth 3.45-3.95 in SL; head length (HL) 2.85-3.1 in SL; dorsal profile of snout straight to slightly convex, the snout length 1.7-2.05 in HL; barbel length 1.3-1.55 in HL; longest dorsal spine 1.4-1.7 in HL; last dorsal soft ray of adults longer than penultimate ray, the latter contained 1.1-1.25 in length of the former; posterior margin of caudal-fin lobes straight to slightly convex; pectoral-fin length 1.3-1.5 in HL; pelvic-fin length 1.25-1.45 in HL. Body pinkish to yellowish gray, the scale edges narrowly dark, with a black spot about 3-4 scales in width on lateral line below posterior part of first dorsal fin, followed by a large pale pink to white spot; a blue spot often present on each scale above lateral line, always present posteriorly; pale blue spots, one per scale, ventrally on body, but often not visible; short blue lines radiating from eye except ventrally; barbels pale pink to white; basal third of second dorsal fin with a broad black or blackish band or a large black spot, sometimes extending onto adjacent back, the outer part of fin with narrow blue and yellow bands; anal fin with faint pale blue and yellow bands; remaining fins varying from yellowish gray to light red

Summary of Distribution: Indo-Pacific: East Africa to Hawaii and the Line, Marquesas and Tuamoto islands, north to the Ryukyu Islands, south to Lord Howe and Rapa islands.
Note: Distribution range colors indicate degree of suitability of habitat which can be interpreted as probabilities of occurrence (fishbase.org)