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Blue-spotted Goatfish
Upeneichthys vlamingii (Cuvier, 1829)
A Blue-spotted Goatfish photographed during a night dive at Mornington Pier, Victoria, December 2003. Photo © J. Sweeney. View larger image.
The Blue-spotted Goatfish has small eyes and a small mouth with fleshy lips. There are two dorsal fins. The first spinous dorsal fin is taller with a shorter base than the second soft-rayed fin. The chin barbels are about the same length as the head.
The colouration of this species varies with age, sex, time of day, and the fish's level of stimulation. Young fish and females are pale below and darker above. They have a black stripe along the side of their bodies. Adult males and females have blue spots on their body scales. At night and when excited, their bodies often become reddish.
This species grows to 42 cm in length.
It is commonly seen as a single individual or in schools. It is found near shallow reefs and sandy areas in coastal waters and estuaries to depths of about 40 m.
The Blue-spotted Goatfish occurs in temperate marine waters of southern Australia from southern New South Wales to southern Western Australia, including Tasmania.
This species is also known as the Black-striped Goatfish and the Red Mullet.
The Blue-spotted Goatfish looks similar to the Blue-lined Goatfish. The two species can be distinguished by the Blue-lined Goatfish's darker body stripe and slightly longer head. The two species also have different distributions. The Blue-lined Goatfish is an Australian east coast species.
Further reading
- Kuiter, R.H. in Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & R.H. Kuiter (Eds). 1994. The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. State Print, Adelaide. Pp. 992.
- Hutchins, B. & R. Swainston. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Complete Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Swainston Publishing. Pp. 180.
- Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
