Mexican Goatfish

Family: Goatfishes (Mullidae)

Size: Up to 30 cm (12 in) | Common: 20 cm

Depth: 3 – 40m (10 – 130ft)

Distribution: Eastern Pacific (Gulf of California to Peru & Galapagos).

Identification:
A bright and active fish often seen in groups.

• Color: The body is silvery-white with a brilliant yellow horizontal stripe running from the eye to the tail. The fins are also bright yellow.
• The Barbels: Like all goatfish, they have a pair of sensory "whiskers" (barbels) on their chin. When swimming, these are tucked away, but when feeding, they lower them to probe the sand.
• Night Variation: At night or when resting, they can change color, often showing blotchy red or pink patches to break up their outline.

Behavior:
The vacuum cleaners of the sand.

• Schooling: During the day, they form large, inactive schools that hover over the reef. You will often see them mixed in with schools of Blue and Gold Snappers.
• Feeding: They are bottom feeders. They use their sensitive chin barbels to "taste" the sand, digging for hidden invertebrates like worms and crustaceans.