Heemstra's goatfish
📖 Overview
Heemstra's goatfish (Upeneus heemstra), first described by Uiblein & Gouws, 2014 is a medium-sized fish in the family Mullidae (order Mulliformes). Adults typically reach 15.00 cm in maximum length. It inhabits marine coastal and open-ocean environments. Recorded depth range: 0 to 12 metres. It occurs in Tropical waters. It feeds on a mix of small fish and invertebrates as a mid-level predator. The species largely solitary in behaviour. On the IUCN Red List, it is classified as Least Concern.
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal spines (total): 8; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Anal spines: 1; Anal soft rays: 6. This species is distinguished by the following characters: D VIII + 9; pectoral-fin rays 12-14; gill rakers 4-8 + 14-18 = 19-24; lateral-line scales 28-30; in %SL: body depth at first dorsal-fin origin 22-26; body depth at anal-fin origin 19-23; caudal-peduncle depth 9.5-11; caudal-peduncle width 2.9-4.6; maximum head depth 19-22; head depth through eye 14-17; head length 27-31; postorbital length 10-13; orbit length 6.3-8.3; upper jaw length 9.8-13; barbel length 15-20; caudal peduncle length 21-23; caudal-fin length 27-30; anal-fin height 16-19; pelvic-fin length 20-22; pectoral- fin length 19-21; pectoral-fin width 3.7-4.9; first dorsal-fin height 19-23; second dorsal-fin height 17-18; postorbital length 1.4-1.8 times in anal-fin height; colour of all fins with red, brown or black stripes, bars or blotches; caudal fin with 9-12 oblique bars, 4-6 bars on upper caudal-fin lobe and 5-6 bars on lower caudal-fin lobe; first dorsal fin possess a large blotch around tip; one pale- or dark brown mid-lateral body stripe from tip of snout through eye to caudal base; body and head ground colour white or beige, slightly darker above lateral line, with irregular red, brown or black spots and/or blotches; fresh specimens with yellow or pale brown barbels; fin and body pigmentation mostly retained in preserved fish .: fusiform / normal; Cross section: oval.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Heemstra's goatfish is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
🥚 Reproduction
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; demersal; depth range 0 - 12 m . Tropical
🌿 Ecology
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🔍 Similar Species
👥 Community & Contribute
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