HomeFish encyclopediaRay-finned fishesPerch-like fishGoatfishesArom's goatfish Arom's goatfish (Upeneus davidaromi) Scientific name: Upeneus davidaromi Golani, 2001 The Arom's goatfish (Upeneus davidaromi) is a marine fish of the family Mullidae. Native range: Western Indian Ocean, Red Sea. BiologyDorsal spines (total): 8; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Anal spines: 1; Anal soft rays: 7; Vertebrae: 24. This species is distinguished by the following characters: D VIII,9; pectoral fins 15-16; gill rakers 7 + 19-20 = 26-27; lateral line scales 33-36; body depth at first dorsal-fin origin 24% SL and at anal-fin origin 20-21% SL; caudal-peduncle depth 9.2-9.4% SL; maximum head depth 24% SL; head depth through eye 21-22% SL; head length 32-33%SL; orbit length 9.1-9.8% SL; upper jaw length 14-15% SL; barbel length 20-21% SL; caudal-fin length 28-29% SL; anal-fin height 16-17% SL; pelvic-fin length 20% SL; pectoral-fin length 23-24% SL; first dorsal-fin height 20-21% SL; second dorsal-fin height 16-17% SL; 8-10 total bars on caudal fin, 5-6 dark bars on upper caudal-fin lobe (including 1 bar close to the rear end of lateral line) and color of bars changing from pale brown proximally to dark brown or black at the rear caudal-fin margin and tip in fresh fish; 3-4 of same cSource: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Species factsScientific nameUpeneus davidaromiFamilyMullidae (Goatfishes)OrderPerciformes (Perch-like fish)ClassActinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)Maximum length24.0Depth range150–500 m (492–1640 ft)EnvironmentMarine; bathydemersal; depth range 150 - 500 m, usually 250 - 300 mClimateDeep-waterDistributionWestern Indian Ocean: Red Sea.Conservation status (IUCN)Not EvaluatedThreat to humansHarmlessResilienceMedium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Assuming tmax>3) SourcesTaxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.Last updated 27 September 2026