Teleostei (teleosts) >
Mulliformes (Goatfishes) >
Mullidae (Goatfishes)
Etymology: Upeneus: Greek, ypene, -es = upper lip (Ref. 45335); supravittatus: Named for the high gill-raker count and the long pectoral-fin length, which in combination place this species 'above' all other species of the vittatus group..
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; depth range ? - 40 m (Ref. 83903). Tropical
Eastern Indian Ocean: Sri Lanka, southern India.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 14.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 83903)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 8; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9. This species is distinguished by the following characters: D VIII,9; pectoral fins 16-17; gill rakers 7-9 + 21-23 = 28-32; lateral line scales 34-36; body depth at first dorsal fin origin 26-30% SL and at anal-fin origin 22-25% SL; caudal-peduncle depth 9.9-11% SL; maximum head depth 23-26% SL; head depth through eye 17-20% SL; head length 30-33%SL; orbit length 6.8-8.5% SL; upper jaw length 12-14% SL; barbel length 19-23% SL; caudal-fin length 27-31% SL; anal-fin height 14-17% SL; pelvic-fin length 18-21% SL; pectoral-fin length 25-28% SL; first dorsal-fin height 23-26% SL; second dorsal-fin height 15-17% SL; 8-10 total bars on caudal fin, 4-6 brown bars on upper caudal-fin lobe, 3-5 of same color on lower lobe with the 3 proximal bars on upper lobe strongly curved and the 2 proximal bars on lower lobe slightly curved, with pale interspaces between bars are of nearly equal width on both lobes, and narrower than bars; in adult specimens, lower lobe often considerably shortened with only 3 bars, and the distal-most one increased in size; on preserved fish bars are retained. Fresh fish with 2 lateral body stripes, one pale-brown mid-lateral stripe reaching from behind head to caudal-fin base, and one below of same color, from pectoral-fin base to caudal-fin base; tip of first dorsal-fin dark as in preserved fish; head and body brassy to silvery grey, light rose laterally and slightly darker dorsally, belly pale in fresh fish; body and head uniformly brown or dorsally darkened in preserved fish (Ref. 83903).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Uiblein, F. and P.C. Heemstra, 2010. A taxonomic review of the Western Indian Ocean goatfishes of the genus Upeneus (Family Mullidae), with descriptions of four new species. Smithiana 11:35-71. (Ref. 83903)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00955 (0.00454 - 0.02011), b=3.10 (2.93 - 3.27), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this Genus-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.5 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
