HomeFreshwater aquarium fishOther freshwater fishRed Sea goatfish Red Sea goatfish (Parupeneus forsskali) Scientific name: Parupeneus forsskali Fourmanoir & Gu?z?, 1976 The Red Sea goatfish (Parupeneus forsskali) is a brackish-water fish of the family Mullidae. Native range: Indian Ocean, Red Sea into the Gulf of Aden and recorded from Socotra. Suez canal migrant and now established in the eastern Mediterranean. BiologyDorsal spines (total): 8; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Anal soft rays: 7. Diagnosis: Pectoral rays 14-17 (usually 16). Gill rakers 7-9 + 23-26 (total 30-34). Body relatively elongate, the depth 3.65-4.2 in SL; head length (HL) 2.9-3.25 in SL; snout length 1.7-1.9 in HL; barbel length 1.4-1.5 in HL; longest dorsal spine 1.5-1.7 in HL; penultimate dorsal ray 1.15-1.25 in length of last dorsal ray; pectoral-fin length 1.4-1.65 in HL; pelvic-fin length 1.4-1.6 in HL. A broad black stripe is present from side of upper lip through eye along upper side of body, ending beneath posterior part of second dorsal fin; body above stripe grayish green, the scale edges yellow; body below stripe white, the scale edges narrowly reddish; caudal peduncle yellow dorsally with an irregular roundish black spot, mostly above lateral line; caudal fin yellow; second dorsal and anal fins with narrow blue and yellow stripes; peritoneum pale.Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Species factsScientific nameParupeneus forsskaliFamilyMullidae (Goatfishes)OrderPerciformes (Perch-like fish)ClassActinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)Maximum length28.0Common length25.0EnvironmentMarine; brackish; reef-associatedClimateSubtropicalDistributionIndian Ocean: Red Sea into the Gulf of Aden and recorded from Socotra. Suez canal migrant and now established in the eastern Mediterranean.Conservation status (IUCN)Not EvaluatedThreat to humansHarmlessUsesFisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: commercialResilienceHigh, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (K>1) More other freshwater fishFreshwater garfishXenentodon cancilaFinescale tigerfishDatnioides microlepisShort-tailed pipefishMicrophis brachyurus brachyurusPumpkinseedLepomis gibbosusLined soleAchirus lineatusSouth American lungfishLepidosiren paradoxaSee all other freshwater fish SourcesTaxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.Last updated 27 September 2026