MULLIDAE


Parupeneus cyclostomus
(photo by Mark Strickland)


Parupeneus cyclostomus
(Lacepède, 1801)
Goldsaddle Goatfish

D VIII+9; A I, 7; P1 15-17 (usually 16); LLp 27-28; GR 6-7 + 22-26.

Body moderately elongate. Chin with 2 long barbels, 1.15 in head length to longer than head. Single row of teeth on both jaws. Vomer and palatines lacking teeth. Second dorsal and anal fins lacking scaled area. Color: large adults yellowish gray; a large, hemispherical, saddle-like, yellow spot covering most of upper half of caudal peduncle; region around eye yellow with radiating short blue bands. Size: attaining to 41 cm. Distribution: occurring throughout the Indo-Pacific region. (Hisashi Imamura)