Description:

Dorsal spines: 8; Dorsal rays: 9; Anal spines: 1; Anal rays: 7.
Elongate body tapering to tail, moderately compressed. Barbels short, usually not reaching posterior margin of preopercle.
Colour. White to silvery body, reddish brown dorsally. Four longitudinal stripes. 2 dorsolateral brown or pale brown stripes, the lower one distinct against the pale body, extending from operculum to behind second dorsal fin, the upper one indistinct and much shorter, beginning below first dorsal-fin origin. 2 yellow mid-lateral body stripes, one from eye to caudal-fin base, and the other stripe below from pectoral-fin base to caudal peduncle. Barbels white. Yellow spot at pectoral fin base. Faint yellowish patches along pelvic and anal-fin bases. Dorsal fins with 2 brown stripes and broad black tips. Upper lobe of caudal fin of adults with 5 dark brown to black transverse bands. The lower lobe with 3, the last of which is broader and markedly darker.
 

Maturity: Lm unknown. Range unknown. Max Length: 28cm TL. Commonly to 20cm TL. 

Found in shallow lagoons and sheltered coastal flats, often on mud bottoms of shallow estuarine areas (depth 5-100m, record in New Caledonia of 320m). Often in groups. Feeds on a wide range of benthic invertebrates.
 

This species is not protected or subject to fishery regulations. It is caught in the fish trap and net fisheries, but is an uncommon component of the catch. 

Froese, R. & D. Pauly. Eds. 2019. FishBase. https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Upeneus-vittatus.html (20/07/19).

Randall, J.E. & Kulbicki, M. (2006). A Review of the Goatfishes of the Genus Upeneus (Perciformes: Mullidae) from New Caledonia and the Chesterfield Bank, with a New Species and Four New Records. Zoological Studies 45(3): 298-307 (2006).

Smith-Vaniz, W.F. & Williams, I. 2016. Upeneus vittatus (errata version published in 2017). The IUCN Red List 2016: e.T50903183A115404893. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T50903183A51347581.en. (20/07/19).