Bar Tail Goatfish

This species is distinguished by the following characters: D VIII + 9; pectoral fins 12-14; gill rakers 4-7 + 15-19 = 20-25; lateral line scales 28-31; the following measurements are in %SL- body depth at first dorsal fin origin 21-28 and at anus 18-24; caudal-peduncle depth 9.5-12, width 3.1-4.9L; maximum head depth 18-24; head depth through eye 14-20; head length 26-32; postorbital length 9.9–13; orbit length 5.3-8.9; upper jaw length 9.8-14; barbel length 13-21; caudal-peduncle length 22-27, caudal-fin length 29-34; anal-fin height 16-20; pelvic-fin length 19-24; pectoral-fin length 17-22, width 3.5-5.3; first dorsal-fin height 20-25; second dorsal-fin height 17-21; postorbital length 1.4–2.0 times in anal-fin height; all fins with red, brown or black stripes, bars or blotches; 7–19 oblique bars on caudal fin, 3-9 bars on upper lobe, 4-10 on lower lobe; first dorsal fin with a large blotch around tip; one red, brown or black mid-lateral body stripe from tip of snout through eye to caudal base; body and head ground colour white or beige, slightly darker above lateral line, with irregular red, brown or black spots and/or blotches; yellow barbels but may be pale brown or orange in fresh fish; most of body and fin pigmentation retained on preserved fish (Ref. 95469).

Oceanodromous. Migrating within oceans typically between spawning and different feeding areas, as tunas do. Migrations should be cyclical and predictable and cover more than 100 km.

Dorsal spines (total): 8; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Analspines: 1; Analsoft rays: 6

Known to enter lower reaches of rivers. Forms small to moderately large aggregations at all sizes (Ref. 48636). Present in seagrass beds at juvenile stage.

Known to enter lower reaches of rivers. Usually found on sandy bottoms in nearshore areas; usually solitary (Ref. 68964). Forms small to moderately large aggregations at all sizes (Ref. 48636). Minimum depth from Ref. 3470.

fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial

分布於印度-西太平洋區，西起波斯灣，東至萬那杜，北至日本南部，南至澳洲及新加勒多尼亞皆有分布。台灣各海域皆可發現。

可利用流刺網、延繩釣或底拖網等漁法捕獲。魚肉細緻，油炸、紅燒、煮味噌湯，味道皆可口。全年都可捕獲，夏天尤其多。多變化的體色及特殊之覓食行為，故常被水族館做展示用。

體延長而稍側扁，呈長橢圓形。頭中大；口小，下位；吻圓鈍；上下頜齒細小，鋤骨與腭骨具齒，均多形成絨毛狀齒帶；上頜延長至眼下方約1/3處。頦部縫合處具一對長鬚，末端未達後鰓蓋緣。前鰓蓋骨後緣平滑；鰓蓋骨後緣具一短棘；鰓蓋膜與峽部分離；鰓耙數5-7 + 15-18。體被中大櫛鱗，易脫落；側線完全，側線鱗數28-30，側線鱗上之側線管分枝。背鰭兩個，彼此分離；胸鰭軟條數14-15；尾鰭叉尾形。頭部及體側自吻端經眼至尾鰭基部具一紅褐色至黑色的縱帶，縱帶上方之體側呈褐色至灰綠色，並且散布許多紅褐色或黑色小點，縱帶下方之體側呈銀白色，並且有數條暗色點帶。背鰭棘部灰白色，具有一暗紅至黑色之大斑，斑內雜有兩至多個小黃點，此斑下方另有一小暗色斑；軟條與腹鰭具2-3條暗紅或黑色縱帶；尾鰭上葉具4-6條斜灰黑或紅褐斜帶，下葉則具5-8條；胸鰭與腹鰭黃褐色，偶具紅點；頦鬚白色或淡黃色。

主要棲息於珊瑚礁區外緣的砂泥地海域，經常游到河口區，甚至受潮夕影響之河段。通常單獨的在砂泥底質的棲地，翻動底沙泥，尋找底棲的軟體動物及甲殼類。

Found over sandy and muddy bottoms, may be found near corals and has been known to enter the lower reaches of rivers. Inhabits depths of up to 40 m. Generally solitary (Ref. 5213).