Cinnabar goatfish (Parupeneus heptacanthus)

Scientific name: Parupeneus heptacanthus Lacep?de, 1802

Cinnabar goatfish (Parupeneus heptacanthus)

The Cinnabar goatfish (Parupeneus heptacanthus) is a brackish-water fish of the family Mullidae. Native range: Indo-West Pacific, Red Sea and east coast of Africa to the Caroline Islands and Fiji.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 8; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Anal spines: 1; Anal soft rays: 7. Diagnosis: Pectoral rays 16 (rarely 15 or 17). Gill rakers 6-7 + 29-23 (total 26-30). Body depth 2.95-3.55 in SL; head length (HL) 2.9-3.25 in SL; snout length 1.75-2.1 in HL; barbel length 1.15-1.35 in HL; posterior end of maxilla evenly convex; longest dorsal spine 1.45-1.75 in HL; penultimate dorsal ray 1.05-1.25 in length of last dorsal ray; pectoral-fin length 1.25-1.4 in HL; pelvic-fin length 1.4-1.6 in HL. Body brownish yellow to light red (deeper-dwelling fish more red), the edges of the scales darker, shading to silvery white ventrally; adults with a small reddish brown spot on upper side of body just below seventh and eighth lateral-line scales; an indistinct narrow yellow stripe often visible above the lateral line (more evident in juveniles and subadults); dorsal body scales often with a pale blue or pearly spot; faint iridescent blue lines extending dorsoposteriorly

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Parupeneus heptacanthus
Family
Mullidae (Goatfishes)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
36.0
Common length
25.0
Depth range
12–350 m (39–1148 ft)
Environment
Marine; brackish; reef-associated; depth range 12 - 350 m, usually ? - 60 m
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Indo-West Pacific: Red Sea and east coast of Africa to the Caroline Islands and Fiji.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: commercial
Resilience
High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (K=0.4)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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