The goatfishes, or mullets, are ray-finned fish of the family Mullidae, the only family in the suborder Mulloidei of the order Syngnathiformes. The family is also sometimes referred to as the red mullets, which also refers more narrowly to the genus Mullus.
Taxonomy
Evolution
Due to their relatively nondescript body plan, the phylogenetic affinities of goatfishes have long been uncertain, outside of their being percomorphs. In the past, they were placed in an expanded treatment of Perciformes, which is now known to be paraphyletic. More recent studies incorporating phylogenetics have found them to belong to the order Syngnathiformes, which also contains seahorses, pipefish, and flying gurnards. Specifically, they belong to a "benthic clade" also containing gurnards, seamoths, and dragonets, with the dragonets being their closest relatives. This divergence likely occurred during a rapid but ancient radiation of the Syngnathiformes during the Late Cretaceous, explaining both the physical differences between goatfish and other Syngnathiformes, as well as the past difficulty in determining their phylogenetic affinities.
Genera
These genera are classified as belonging to the Mullidae:
- Mulloidichthys <small>Whitley, 1929</small>
- Mullus <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small>
- Parupeneus <small>Bleeker, 1863</small>
- Pseudupeneus <small>Bleeker, 1862</small>
- Upeneichthys <small>Bleeker, 1853</small>
- Upeneus <small>Cuvier, 1829</small>
Description
Goatfish are characterized by two chin barbels (or goatee), which contain chemosensory organs and are used to probe the sand or holes in the reef for food. Their bodies are deep and elongated, with forked tails and widely separated dorsal fins. The first dorsal fin has six to eight spines; the second dorsal has one spine and 8–9 soft rays, shorter than anal fin. There are one or two spines in the anal fin with five to eight soft rays. They have 24 vertebrae.
Many goatfish are brightly colored. The largest species, the dash-and-dot goatfish (Parupeneus barberinus), grows to in length; most species are less than half this size.
Within the family are six genera and about 86 species.
Distribution and habitat
Goatfish are distributed worldwide in tropical, subtropical, and temperate waters, in a range of habitats. Most species are associated with the bottom of the littoral, but some species of Upeneus can be deep; for example, the goatfish Upeneus davidaromi can be found at depths of . Tropical goatfish live in association with coral reefs. Some species, such as the freckled goatfish (Upeneus tragula), enter estuaries and rivers, although not to any great extent.
Ecology
thumb|[[Parupeneus biaculeatus foraging for food]]
Goatfish are benthic feeders, using a pair of long chemosensory barbels (whiskers) protruding from their chins to feel through the sediments in search of prey.
Juvenile goatfish often prefer soft bottoms, in seagrass beds to mangroves. They change habitat preference as they develop, coinciding with changes in feeding habits, social behavior, and the formation of association with other species. Most species reach reproductive maturity after 1–2 years.
Economic importance
Goatfish species are an important fishery in many areas of the world and some species are economically important.
In ancient Rome until the end of the second century BCE, two species of goatfish (Mullus barbatus and Mullus surmuletus) were highly sought-after and expensive, not as a delicacy, but for aesthetic pleasure, since the fish assume a variety of colors and shades also during death. Therefore, it was paramount to serve the fish live and let them die before the eyes of the guests.
Timeline
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Gallery
<gallery>
Image:Parupeneus_insularis.jpg|Parupeneus insularis
Image:Mulloidichthys flavolineatus .jpg|Mulloidichthys flavolineatus off the coast of Kona, Hawaii
Image:Yellow striped goatfish ( Parupeneus chrysopleuron ).jpg|A school of yellow-striped goatfish (Parupeneus chrysopleuron) and whitesaddle goatfish (Parupeneus ciliatus) searching food on the sandy bottom, northeast coast, Taiwan
Image:Whitesaddle goatfish 2.jpg|Whitesaddle goatfish (Parupeneus ciliatus) searching food by digging the sandy bottom of Long-Dong Bay, Taiwan
Image:Whitesaddle goatfish 1.jpg|Two whitesaddle goatfish (Parupeneus ciliatus) searching food by using a pair of long chemosensory barbels on the sandy bottom of Long-Dong Bay, Taiwan
</gallery>