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GOATFISH - MULLIDAE

Info-goatfish

Goatfish are a very common family on coastal reefs that have large sandy areas. They are tireless benthic feeders who constantly cruise above the sand using a pair of long chemosensory barbell ("whiskers") protruding from their chin to rifle through the sediments in search of worms, crustaceans, brittle stars and small fish. This grazing behavior, along with their barbells, is probably where their coloqial name "goatfish" comes from. Most of the time they are accompanied by small wrasse and emperorfish. The goatfish stir up the sediment looking for food, whilst the others try to take advantage seeking out disturbed bottom-dwellers. Mating mostly happens with a full or new moon when they form small groups close to the sea floor. They then swim upwards in a right angle and squirt out the eggs and sperm together, so it will be transported to open water. This explains why juvenile goatfish live pelagic.

- Check the sub-map for the specimen information files -


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