Description:

Dorsal spines: 8; Dorsal rays: 9; Anal spines: 1; Anal rays: 7.

Large goatfish, dorsal profile straight, body moderately elongate, snout long and pointed and more so in larger individuals. Mouth small, the maxilla reaching only half way to vertical at front edge of eye. A single row of well-spaced, stout conical teeth in jaws. 2 slender barbels which usually reach posterior to rear margin of preopercle.

Colour. Whitish body with a dark brown to black stripe (red on fish in deeper water) from the snout through the eye to below the rear of the dorsal fin, a yellow stripe above the dark stripe, and a large black spot on the middle of the caudal peduncle. Diagonal pale blue lines alternating with brownish yellow extending dorsoposteriorly and ventroanteriorly from eye, with 1 or 2 parallel on cheek. Scale edges narrowly grey to brownish red, some large adults with centres of scales below dark stripe pale blue. Fins unmarked or second dorsal and anal fins may have faint narrow pale blue to pink bands.

Fish taken from deeper water are more red and those from the shallows more brown.

Fish at market are typically pinkish white with stripe and dot red to dark brown-red.

Maturity: Lm unknown. Range unknown. Max Length: 60cm TL. Commonly 30cm TL.

Typically a shallow water species (though reported to 100m depth, 1-100m) inhabiting large sand patches and sand/rubble areas in lagoons, near reefs and seagrass beds.

Feeds on sand dwelling invertebrates (crabs, worms, small molluscs etc…) using its barbels to forage. Adults solitary or in small groups. Juveniles usually in small groups, often mixed with other species in sparse seagrass habitats. Mature individuals migrate shoreward to spawn and feed.

This species is not protected or subject to fishery regulations. It is caught in the fish trap fishery, where it is a common and occasionally numerous component of the catch. Occasionally caught with hand line.

Bray, D.J. 2018. Parupeneus barberinus in Fishes of Australia, http://136.154.202.208/home/species/586 (16/04/20).

Fischer, W. & G. Bianchi (eds), (1984).  FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Western Indian Ocean; (Fishing Area 51). Prepared and printed with the support of the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA). Rome, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, vols 1-6.

Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Eds. 2018. FishBase. https://www.fishbase.se/summary/5987 (05/06/19).

Smith-Vaniz, W.F. & Williams, I. 2016. Parupeneus barberinus (errata version 2017). The IUCN Red List 2016: e.T69181941A115459034. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T69181941A69183269.en. (16/04/20).