Spotted Goatfish, Pseudupeneus maculatus
Spotted Goatfish, Pseudupeneus maculatus. Underwater photograph taken in coastal waters off Bonaire, December 2019. Photograph courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah. A Bar Jack, Carangoides ruber, awaits a feeding opportunity hopefully unearthed by the Spotted Goatfish.
The Spotted Goatfish, Pseudupeneus maculatus, is a member of the Goatfish or Mullidae Family, and is known in Mexico as chivo manchado. Globally, there are four four species in the genus Pseudupeneus, of which two are found in Mexican waters, one in the Atlantic and one in the Pacific Ocean.
The Spotted Goatfish has an elongated compressed goatfish-like body. The undersides of their head and body are nearly flat. They vary in color from but are normally pale with a series of three large black blotches on the upper sides of the body underneath the dorsal fins. The scales on the back have reddish to yellowish edges with a central blue spot. There are diagonal light blue lines on the head. Their fins are transparent. They have the ability to display a pattern of large red blotches on the head and body on short notice. The Spotted Goatfish has a pointed snout and eyes that are set high on the head. They feature a small protrusible mouth with small villiform or conical teeth and 2 long barbels on their chin, which allow for easy identification. Their caudal fin is deeply forked; their first dorsal fin has 8 or 9 spines; their second dorsal fin has 1 spine and 8 rays; and, their pectoral fins have 13 to 15 rays, and they have large pelvic fins located just before the pectoral fin base. They are covered with large rough scales.
The Spotted Goatfish is found over sand and rocky bottoms in reef areas at depths up to 90 m (295 feet). Juveniles are found within seagrass beds. They reach a maximum of 30 cm (11.8 inches) in length. Their barbels have sensory organs utilized for finding food, which consists mainly of small bottom-living animals such as crabs, fish, mollusks, shrimp, worms, and other small invertebrates. During the day, they form large feeding schools and commingling with other species. When feeding they are closely followed by a wide variety of jacks, snappers, and wrasses seeking dislodged food. Spotted Goatfish spawning occurs in pairs or in small groups with the release of pelagic buoyant eggs that travel the currents for several days until hatching. They are slow growing and reach maturity at a late age. They have life spans of up to seven years. The Spotted Goatfish is poorly studied with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.
The Spotted Goatfish is a resident of all Mexican waters of the Atlantic Ocean including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.
The Spotted Goatfish is easy to identify being one of only four Goatfish found in Mexican waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Of the four it is the only fish with blotches on its side as the Red Goatfish, Mullus auratus and the Yellow Goatfish, Mulloidichthys martinicus, both have stripes on their sides and the Dwarf Goatfish, Upeneus parvus, has sides without markings.
From a conservation perspective the Spotted Goatfish is currently considered to be of Least Concern, with stable, widely distributed populations. In certain parts of their region they are fished commercially with traps and considered to be an esteemed human food fish and are marketed fresh and frozen. There are reports that they contain ciguatoxin. They are also a component of the aquarium trade. In some regions they are prone to overfishing. Their long-term viability is strongly dependent upon the potential loss of habitat. Degradation of coral reef habitats in the Caribbean has led to a significant decline in the density of coral reef fish for more than a decade. The recent introduction to the Caribbean by the highly invasive Red Lionfish, Pterois volitans, with its aggressiveness and population explosion has reduced the abundance of coral reef fishes.