Bicolour Goatfish

Parupeneus barberinoides is a species of goatfish native to the western Pacific Ocean.

Description

Head and anterior half of body reddish black, posterior half white and yellow with a black spot nearly as large as eye on upper side below rear base of second dorsal fin, followed by small blue spots. A white band from front of snout passing above eye along dorsal part of body, and a second nearly parallel one from corner of mouth to above pectoral fin. Caudal fin pale yellow with a broad, dusky lower margin, and often with a small red spot at midbase. Barbels are red. This species can reach a length of 30 centimetres though most are only around 20 centimetres.

Distribution

Western Pacific: Moluccas and Philippines to western Samoa, north to the Ryukyu Islands, south to New Caledonia and Tonga; Palau, Caroline and Marshall Islands in Micronesia. Recorded from Shark Bay, Western Australia.

Habitat

Adults solitary, juveniles in schools. Usually found in the vicinity of coral reefs in protected waters such as bays or lagoons or in deeper outer-reef areas to at least 40 meters. Inhabits mixed sand, rubble, and seaweed covered bottoms near coral reefs. Carnivorous, feeds mainly on worms, crustaceans, brittle stars, and small mollusks and heart urchins.

This is a commercially important species and can also be found in the aquarium trade.