This species of fish is able to use camouflage
Sometimes when you are underwater, you get visually overwhelmed as your surrounded by a school of fish. This was one of those times. I was snorkeling and freediving down to ten to fifteen feet, taking photos, and enjoying the great weather. My wife and I were venturing close to shore where the depth dropped off quickly. This school of yellowstripe goatfish was patrolling the area. I was able to snorkel right into the middle of the school, and they were minimally bothered by my presence. Check out the video below as I drifted in and out of this school of goatfish.
This fun looking fish is known as the yellowstripe goatfish. In Hawaiian it is known as weke ‘a’a. Its scientific name is Mulloidichthys flavolineatus. The body of this goatfish is grey to white with a tallow strip down its side. The fins are commonly pure yellow, but they can also be red-orange. In this group you can see that they all have the yellow fins. This species of fish is able to use camouflage. It leverages this survival strategy particularly at night to blend in with its surroundings. They are most commonly found feeding in large groups.
These fish are found in both the Indian and Pacific Oceans. They stay nearshore where there are sandy bottoms or reefs. The yellowstripe goatfish stays at depths of less than 300 feet. It belongs to the Mullidae family of fish which is more commonly known as the goatfish family. It is also known as the red mullet family. Goatfish are known for their two chin barbels (or goatee). These contain chemosensory organs that are used to search among sand and holes in the reef for food. They have forked tails, and the yellowstripe goatfish have yellow tails. There are a total of 86 species of fish within this family.
The yellowstripe goatfish stays at depths of less than 300 feet
Did you know?
- The yellowstripe goatfish is a common meal in Hawai’i. Many will tell you that it tastes like shrimp, which happens to be this fish’s primary source of food.
- They spawn throughout the year, but are most active from February until June.
- They tend to live for fewer than five years.
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