Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean online information system

Español  Contact

Species: Upeneus parvus, Dwarf Goatfish

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

D1 outer stripe not strong
main side stripe yellow
C lower stripes stronger
snout profile not steep

Upeneus parvus Poey, 1852

Dwarf Goatfish

Elongate, cylindrical body; head blunt and profile strongly convex; space between eyes narrow and concave; mouth reaches under front edge of eye; teeth on both jaws and roof of mouth; chin with a pair of large, long barbells that fold into a central groove on throat; no spine on operculum; first dorsal with VII spines, second dorsal I, 8; pectoral 15-16; scales large, slightly rough, lateral line scales 36-40.

Reddish to pink above, silvery white below; a yellowish brown mid-lateral stripe may be present, plus a series of thin yellow stripes above it; dorsal fins with 3 bronze to yellow stripes, outer stripe on 1st dorsal similar to others; tail with 4-6 distinct oblique dark stripes on each lobe, those of lower lobe much stronger.

Size: 20 cm.

Habitat: Coastal on mud or silty sand bottoms.

Depth: 10-160 m, usually below 40 m.

N Carolina to Brazil.


High Resolution Map Download

Species Data Create Report Export as Word File Export as Excel File
Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore
  • Inshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
Habitat
  • Sand & gravel
  • Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
  • Soft bottom only
  • Mud
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
FishBase Habitat
  • Demersal
  • Reef Associated
Feeding Group
  • Carnivore
  • Data
Diet
  • Data
  • Bony fishes
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
Egg Type
  • Data
  • Pelagic
  • Pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • All species
  • Greater Caribbean non-endemic
  • West Atlantic Endemic
Regional Endemism
  • Also in Brazil
  • Continent
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • Extends N + S of GC
  • Extends North of GC
  • Extends South of GC
  • GC non-endemic
  • Island (s)
  • All species
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
  • Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
  • Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
IUCN Red List
  • Least concern
  • Listed
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 20
Depth Range Min
  • 10
Depth Range Max
  • 160