HomeFreshwater aquarium fishOther freshwater fishSulphur goatfish Sulphur goatfish (Upeneus sulphureus) Scientific name: Upeneus sulphureus Cuvier, 1829 The Sulphur goatfish (Upeneus sulphureus) is a brackish-water fish of the family Mullidae. Native range: Indo-West Pacific, East Africa to southeast Asia, north to China, south to northern Australia and Fiji. BiologyDorsal spines (total): 8; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Anal spines: 1; Anal soft rays: 7. This species is distinguished by the following characters: D VIII,9; pectoral fins 15-16; gill rakers 7-8 + 19-21 = 27-28; lateral line scales 34-37; body depth at first dorsal-fin origin 29-33% SL and at anus 25-27% SL; caudal-peduncle depth 11-12% SL; maximum head depth 23-25% SL; head depth through eye 18-20% SL; head length 29-30%SL; orbit length 7.4-8.7% SL; upper jaw length 11-13% SL; barbel length 17-21% SL; caudal-fin length 27-30% SL; anal-fin height 16-18% SL; pelvic-fin length 20-22% SL; pectoral-fin length 24-26% SL; first dorsal-fin height 23-26% SL; second dorsal-fin height 17-18% SL; no bars on caudal-fin lobes; yellowish lower lobe base, grey on upper lobe (some of the caudal-fin lobe pigmentation retained when preserved, including inner margin of fin lobes); 2 yellow body stripes, 1 mid-lateral body from operculum to caudal-fin base (both faintly retained in preserSource: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Species factsScientific nameUpeneus sulphureusFamilyMullidae (Goatfishes)OrderPerciformes (Perch-like fish)ClassActinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)Maximum length23.0Common length20.0Depth range10–90 m (33–295 ft)EnvironmentMarine; brackish; demersal; oceanodromous; depth range 10 - 90 mClimateTropicalDistributionIndo-West Pacific: East Africa to southeast Asia, north to China, south to northern Australia and Fiji.Conservation status (IUCN)Not EvaluatedThreat to humansHarmlessUsesFisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: commercialResilienceHigh, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (K=0.5-1.3) More other freshwater fishLined soleAchirus lineatusPumpkinseedLepomis gibbosusShort-tailed pipefishMicrophis brachyurus brachyurusFinescale tigerfishDatnioides microlepisFreshwater garfishXenentodon cancilaSouth 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