Upeneus sulphureus Cuvier, 1829
Sulphur goatfish
Upeneus sulphureus
photo by Allen, G.R.

Family:  Mullidae (Goatfishes)
Max. size:  23 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  demersal; brackish; marine; depth range 10 - 90 m, oceanodromous
Distribution:  Indo-West Pacific: East Africa to southeast Asia, north to China, south to northern Australia and Fiji (Ref. 12743).
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 8-8; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9-9; Anal spines: 1-1; Anal soft rays: 7-7. This species is distinguished by the following characters: D VIII,9; pectoral fins 15-16; gill rakers 7-8 + 19-21 = 27-28; lateral line scales 34-37; body depth at first dorsal-fin origin 29-33% SL and at anus 25-27% SL; caudal-peduncle depth 11-12% SL; maximum head depth 23-25% SL; head depth through eye 18-20% SL; head length 29-30%SL; orbit length 7.4-8.7% SL; upper jaw length 11-13% SL; barbel length 17-21% SL; caudal-fin length 27-30% SL; anal-fin height 16-18% SL; pelvic-fin length 20-22% SL; pectoral-fin length 24-26% SL; first dorsal-fin height 23-26% SL; second dorsal-fin height 17-18% SL; no bars on caudal-fin lobes; yellowish lower lobe base, grey on upper lobe (some of the caudal-fin lobe pigmentation retained when preserved, including inner margin of fin lobes); 2 yellow body stripes, 1 mid-lateral body from operculum to caudal-fin base (both faintly retained in preserved fish); white barbels; body dorsally pale brown and ventrally white (pale brown with some reddish or darker brown area at mid-body in preserved fish) (Ref. 82903).
Biology:  Found in coastal waters, entering estuaries (Ref. 30573). Sandy-muddy bottom (Ref. 43239). Forms schools (Ref. 5213). Has appearance of sillaginids when schooling (Ref. 48636).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 11 March 2015 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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