Red Sea Goatfish

Parupeneus forsskali, commonly known as the 🌊 Red Sea goatfish, is a species of goatfish from the family Mullidae.

The species name forsskali is a tribute to the Swedish naturalist and explorer Peter Forsskål (1732-1763). Initially, Forsskål described this fish as Mullus auriflamma, but the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature decided to suppress this name in their decision number 846. In 1976, Fourmanoir & Guézé proposed the name Pseudupeneus forsskali.

The 🌊 Red Sea goatfish is native to the 🌊 Red Sea and 🌊 Gulf of Aden, but it was first confirmed in the Mediterranean Sea in 2012. These subtropical marine fish typically inhabit shallow sandy bottoms with depths ranging from 1 to 45 meters (3 ft 3 in – 147 ft 8 in).

Parupeneus forsskali can grow up to a length of 25 centimeters (9.8 in), with males reaching a maximum length of 28 centimeters (11 in). They have an elongate body and a pointed snout, along with the twin chin barbels commonly found in goatfish species. These fish have eight dorsal spines, nine dorsal soft rays, and seven anal soft rays. Their body color is mostly white with a broad black to dark brown stripe, occasionally showing reddish tones. This stripe extends from the upper lip through the eye and along the body, followed by an irregular roundish black spot at the base of the yellow caudal peduncle. The upper part of their body is grayish green, while the caudal fin is yellow. The second dorsal and anal fins display narrow blue and yellow stripes.

🌊 Red Sea goatfish spend the majority of their time in small groups slowly moving along the bottom as they search for prey using their barbels. They primarily feed on small invertebrates that reside in sand bottoms, such as worms and small crustaceans.