Upeneus sulphureus Cuvier, 1829
Sulphur goatfish
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| Native range | All suitable habitat | Point map | Year 2050 |
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| This map was computer-generated and has not yet been reviewed. |
| Upeneus sulphureus AquaMaps Data sources: GBIF OBIS |
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Upeneus sulphureus
Picture by Allen, G.R.
Pictures | Google image
Picture by Allen, G.R.
Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) > Mulliformes (Goatfishes) > Mullidae (Goatfishes)
Etymology: Upeneus: Greek, ypene, -es = upper lip (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Cuvier.
Etymology: Upeneus: Greek, ypene, -es = upper lip (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Cuvier.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology
Marine; brackish; demersal; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 2 - 90 m (Ref. 12260), usually 20 - 60 m (Ref. 114285). Tropical; 36°N - 28°S, 33°E - 180°E
Distribution Territories | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri
Indo-West Pacific: South Africa to the Red Sea, east to Fiji, north to Japan and south to New Caledonia.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm 9.9, range 9 - 10.3 cm
Max length : 23.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 30573); common length : 20.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5450)
Max length : 23.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 30573); common length : 20.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5450)
Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 8; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Anal spines: 1; Anal soft rays: 7. This species is distinguished by the following characters: D VIII,9 ; pectoral fins 14-17; gill rakers 7-8 + 18-22 = 26-31; lateral line scales 32-37; body moderately deep or rather deep; measurements as % SL: body depth at anal-fin origin 22-29; maximum head depth 21-27; head depth through eye 16-21; suborbital depth 8.7-12; head length 28-33; snout length 9.5-13; postorbital length 11-14; upper-jaw length 11-14; barbel length 12-26; barbel width 0.7-1.2; caudal-peduncle length 18-23; second dorsal-fin base length 13-17; caudal-fin length 27-33; length of anal-fin base 10-13; anal-fin height 15-20; pelvic-fin length 17-22; pectoral-fin length 22-27; pectoral-fin width 3.7-5.9; first dorsal-fin height 22-28; first three to four long dorsal-fin spines are slightly protruding; second dorsal-fin height 16-20. Colouration: caudal fin no bars; first dorsal fin with a conspicuous black tip in fresh specimens that is usually well retained in preservative; both dorsal fins in fresh fish with dark, rather variable, horizontal or slightly oblique stripes, which are mostly lost in preservative; two yellow or pale-orange lateral body stripes in fresh fish, another conspicuous mid-lateral stripe at eye level from behind operculum to caudal-fin base; second stripe of variable length originating behind the pectoral-fin base, sometimes absent in subadults; stripes often lost in preservation; barbels white, pale beige, or pale rose, pale in preservation; head and body are silvery-whitish ventrally and gray to red brown dorsally, belly, pelvic and anal-fins often yellowish in fresh fish; when preserved, head and body uniformly brown or dorsally darker and fins pale brown, except for dark first dorsal-fin tip (Ref. 138759).
Body shape (shape guide): fusiform / normal; Cross section: oval.
Body shape (shape guide): fusiform / normal; Cross section: oval.
Found in coastal waters, entering estuaries (Ref. 30573). Sandy-muddy bottom (Ref. 43239). Forms schools (Ref. 5213). Has appearance of sillaginids when schooling (Ref. 48636).
Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Main reference
Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Randall, John E. | Collaborators
Kumaran, M. and J.E. Randall, 1984. Mullidae. In W. Fischer and G. Bianchi (eds.) FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Western Indian Ocean fishing area 51. Vol. 3. (Ref. 3470)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2 (Global))
Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 11 March 2015
CITES
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: commercial
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource | Sea Around Us
More information
Population dynamics
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Recruitment
Abundance
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Recruitment
Abundance
Physiology
Body composition
Nutrients
Oxygen consumption
Swimming type
Swimming speed
Visual pigments
Fish sound
Diseases & Parasites
Toxicity (LC50s)
Body composition
Nutrients
Oxygen consumption
Swimming type
Swimming speed
Visual pigments
Fish sound
Diseases & Parasites
Toxicity (LC50s)
Human related
Aquaculture systems
Aquaculture profiles
Strains
Ciguatera cases
Stamps, coins, misc.
Aquaculture systems
Aquaculture profiles
Strains
Ciguatera cases
Stamps, coins, misc.
Tools
E-book | Field guide | Identification keys | Length-frequency wizard | Life-history tool | Point map |
Catch-MSY |
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources
AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | National databases | OneZoom | Open Tree of Life | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | TreeBase | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoobank | Zoological Record
Estimates based on models
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Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804) |
PD50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high]. |
| Bayesian length-weight | a=0.01023 (0.00861 - 0.01216), b=3.09 (3.06 - 3.12), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref. 93245). |
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Trophic level (Ref. 69278) |
3.1 ±0.1 se; based on diet studies. |
| Generation time | 1.1 (0.9 - 1.4) years. Estimated as median ln(3)/K based on 22 growth studies. |
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Resilience (Ref. 120179) |
Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.5-1.3; tmax=4.6). |
| Rate of population increase | Prior r = 0.52, 95% CL = 0.35 - 0.79, Based on 1 data-limited stock assessment. |
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Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153) |
Low vulnerability (15 of 100). 🛈 |
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Price category (Ref. 80766) |
High. |
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Nutrients (Ref. 124155) |
Calcium = 233 [126, 477] mg/100g; Iron = 1.33 [0.62, 2.35] mg/100g; Protein = 17.4 [15.4, 19.7] %; Omega3 = 0.302 [0.178, 0.562] g/100g; Selenium = 58.1 [32.3, 117.3] μg/100g; VitaminA = 17.5 [6.6, 50.9] μg/100g; Zinc = 1.66 [1.06, 2.32] mg/100g (wet weight); |