Find a Fish
Bartail Goatfish
Upeneus tragula Richardson, 1846
A Bartail Goatfish at a depth of 10 m, Moreton Bay, November 2005. Photo © D. Harasti. View larger image.
A Bartail Goatfish at a depth of 19m, Pulau Paku Kecil, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia, April 2001. Photo © E. Schlögl. View larger image.
Bartail Goatfish at a depth of 18m, Pulau Kerengga, Redang, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia, April 2001. Photo © E. Schlögl. View larger image.
The Bartail Goatfish has a slightly compressed, elongate body that is covered with large scales. It has a forked caudal fin, and an anal fin that is opposite and similar to the second dorsal fin. There are bands of villiform teeth on the jaws, palatines and vomer.
This species is white to pinkish, with a red to black stripe and brownish spots on the side of the body. It has a barred tail and yellow barbels.
It grows to 30 cm in length.
The Bartail Goatfish occurs in tropical and some warm temperate waters of the Indo-West Pacific.
In Australia it is known from south-western Western Australia, around the tropical north of the country, and south to the southern coast of New South Wales.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
Related links
- Australian Goatfish fact sheet
- Dash-dot Goatfish fact sheet
- View the Goatfishes list
- View the family Mullidae list
Further reading
- Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
- Hutchins, B. & R. Swainston. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Complete Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Swainston Publishing. Pp. 180.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
- Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
- Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.
