Yellow goatfish
| Yellow goatfish | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Not evaluated (IUCN 3.1) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Mullidae |
| Genus: | Mulloidichthys |
| Species: | M. martinicus |
| Binomial name | |
| Mulloidichthys martinicus (G. Cuvier, 1829) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
The yellow goatfish (Mulloidichthys martinicus), also known as yellowsaddle, is a species of goatfish native to the Atlantic Ocean around the coasts of Africa and the Americas. This species can reach a length of 39.4 centimetres (15.5 in) TL, but most reach lengths only around 28 centimetres (11 in). They are of minor importance to local commercial fisheries, even though they have been reported to carry the ciguatera toxin.[1]
Habits
Yellow goatfish are benthic feeders, using a pair of long chemosensory barbels ("whiskers") protruding from their chins to rifle through the sediments in search of a meal. They usually feed on smaller fish, hunting in a school during the day, and alone at night.[2]
Distribution
The yellow goatfish can be found on reefs in the tropical waters in the Atlantic around the United States, in the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and around Cape Verde.[1]
References
- 1 2 Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2013). "Mulloidichthys martinicus" in FishBase. December 2013 version.
- ↑ "The Marine Center: Yellow Goatfish". The Marine Center. 1994–2009. Retrieved 25 November 2009.