Rosy Goatfish

This species is distinguished by the following characters: pectoral rays 15-16 (rarely 15); gill rakers 6-7 + 19-22 = 26-28; greatest body depth at or slightly anterior to origin of dorsal fin, 2.9-3.25 in SL; head length (HL) 2.8-3.1 in SL; snout length 1.65-1.9 in HL; cheek depth (lower edge of eye vertically to ventral margin of preopercle) 6.5-9.6 in SL; barbels 1.35-1.45 in HL; the longest dorsal spine 1.5-1.75 in HL; pectoral-fin length 1.25-1.4 in HL, 3.55-4.2 in SL; pelvic-fin length 1.4-1.65 in HL. Colour pale reddish to bluish gray, scale edges red, a yellow stripe from eye to base of caudal fin just above lateral line (stripe may be red in fish from deep water); barbels white to pale yellow (Ref. 54393).

Dorsal spines (total): 8; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Analspines: 1; Analsoft rays: 7

Found on the continental shelf (Ref. 75154).

Apparently occurs in deeper waters in the warmer seas of lower latitudes (Ref. 54393). Inhabits silt or mud bottoms near reefs (Ref. 90102).Done

分布於印度-西太平洋區，西起印尼，東至菲律賓，北至日本南部，南至澳洲皆有分布。台灣除北部及東部外，常可發現。

終年都可捕獲，但較小型，以冬季肉質較佳。台灣南北礁區可釣到，是食用、觀賞兩用魚。煮味噌湯好吃、煎炸亦可口。

體延長而稍側扁，呈長紡錘形。頭稍大；口小；吻長而鈍尖；上頜僅達吻部的中央；上下頜均具單列齒，齒中大，較鈍，排列較疏；鋤骨與腭骨無齒。具頦鬚一對，末端達眼眶後緣下方，或稍後方。前鰓蓋骨後緣平滑；鰓蓋骨具二短棘；鰓膜與峽部分離；鰓耙數6-7 + 21。體被弱櫛鱗，易脫落，腹鰭基部具一腋鱗，眼前無鱗；側線鱗數28-30，上側線管呈樹枝狀。背鰭兩個，彼此分離；胸鰭軟條數16；尾鰭叉尾形。體一致為橘紅色，上半部較深，下半部較淺；魚體新鮮時，在眼部四周有數條斜紋之藍帶，自眼眶後側至尾鰭基部有條寬黃褐帶；背鰭及胸鰭淺紅色；頦鬚、腹鰭與臀鰭淡黃色。

主要棲息於岩礁區沿岸或內灣的沙質海底，三兩成群在砂質地或軟泥地，以其頤鬚探索泥地中潛藏的甲殼類、軟體動物及多毛類等，再挖掘覓食。