Upeneus moluccensis
Upeneus moluccensis | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Perciformes |
Family: | Mullidae |
Genus: | Upeneus |
Species: | U. moluccensis
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Binomial name | |
Upeneus moluccensis (Bleeker, 1855)
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Synonyms[2] | |
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Upeneus moluccensis, the goldband goatfish, golden-banded goatfish or Moluccan goatfish, is a species of Indo-Pacific goatfish from the red mullet and goatfish family, the Mullidae. It is widespread in the warmer waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans as far east as New Caledonia and has colonised the eastern Mediterranean Sea from the Red Sea via the Suez Canal, making it a Lessepsian migrant.
Description
Upeneus moluccensis has an elongated body which has a sub-cylindrical anterior portion which becomes compressed towards the tail with two
Distribution
Upeneus moluccensis has an Indo-West Pacific distribution, occurring from the Red Sea to New Caledonia and as far north as Japan,[2] and south to northern Australia. It is the second most common member of its genus in New Caledonian waters.[1] The first record of U. moluccensis in the Mediterranean was off Palestine in 1947, it had reached the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal as a Lessepsian migrant, and has become common enough in the eastern Mediterranean to be an important species in fisheries.[3]
Biology
Upeneus moluccensis prefers sandy or muddy substrates where it searches for its food, mainly
Fisheries
Upeneus moluccensis is sold fresh in markets as well as being utilized for fish meal and valued for its roe.[2] It is regarded as a "trash fish" by fishermen in the South China Sea because of its relatively small size.[1] The annual catch of goatfish at the fishing harbour of Visakhapatnam in India ranges between 2177 and 3463 tonnes, averaging 2859 tonnes, of which U. moluccensis makes up 18%.[5] In the Mediterranean U. moluccensis is now an important commercial species for trawl fisheries.[3]
References
- ^ . Retrieved 8 April 2020.
- ^ a b c Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2019). "Upeneus moluccensis" in FishBase. December 2019 version.
- ^ a b c d Atlas of Exotic Fishes in the Mediterranean Sea (Upeneus moluccensis). 2nd Edition. 2021. 366p. CIESM Publishers, Paris, Monaco.https://ciesm.org/atlas/fishes_2nd_edition/Upeneus_moluccensis.pdf
- ^ a b "Golden banded goat-fish (Upeneus moluccensis)". Marine Species Identification Portal: Fishes of the NE Atlantic and the Mediterranean. ETI Bioinformatics. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
- ^ Madhumita Das (2011). "Largest goatfish, Upeneus moluccensis (Bleeker, 1855) caught off Visakhapatnam" (PDF). Regional Centre of CMFRI, Visakhapatnam.