Species: Mulloidichthys martinicus, Yellow Goatfish

Mulloidichthys martinicus (Cuvier, 1829)

Yellow Goatfish

Body elongate, cylindrical, underside of head and body nearly flat; snout blunt; eye high on side of head; mouth small, at lower edge of head, protrusible, top jaw not reaching to under front of eye; relatively small villiform or conical teeth; no teeth on roof of mouth; chin with a pair of large, long barbells that fold into a central groove on throat; opercle with a short spine; 2 well-separated dorsal fins, VIII (first spine very short), + I, 8; pectoral rays 15-17; a forked tail; scales large, slightly rough, 34-39 on lateral line; 6 rows of scales between the dorsal fins.

Light olive above, whitish below; a single yellow stripe (generally with blue border) from eye to base of bright yellow tail fin; dorsal and anal fins yellowish.

Size: 40 cm.

Habitat: Adults around shallow coral reefs, young frequent seagrass beds.

Depth: 1-135 m

North Carolina to Brazil; the central Atlantic islands, Cape Verde.