The Red Goatfish (Ikan Rembang), Parupeneus multifasciatus, also known as the Manybar Goatfish has a black/red body bisected by a thick cream-colored line and muted black lines. Like other goatfish species, the Red Goatfish has beard-like appendages called "barbels" dangling off of their lower lip used to probe the sand for sources of food.

Goatfishes generally have an elongate body with two widely separated dorsal fins and a soft, forked tail. They are capable of rapid color changes and a fish resting on the bottom often exhibits a different color than when it is active. There are 10 species of goatfishes native to Hawaiian reefs, but no known general Hawaiian term for all goatfish. Species with one or more stripes running the length of the body are called weke with a second word to denote the species, i.e. weke ‘ula (yellowfin goatfish or Mulloidichthys vanicolensis), weke ‘a (yellow-stripe goatfish or Mulloidichtys flavolineatus), and weke pueo (bandtail goatfish or Upeneus arge).

Goatfishes are predators. They feed on bottom-dwelling invertebrates including worms, crustaceans, small molluscs, brittle stars and heart urchins. A few species also take small fishes. When food is located, a goatfish plunges its snout into the sediment and roots for its prey, inhaling sand and prey alike. Prey are swallowed and sand is expelled via the gill cover. Some goatfish species are active primarily at night and spend daylight hours hovering in stationary schools over the reef. Others are most active by day, and some hunt by either day or night.

In Goatfish origins, Hawai‘i, all species of goatfish have long been popular as food. The manybar goatfish or moano (Parupeneus multifascatus) is recognized in a Hawaiian song for its delicious taste. The goatfish known as k?m? (whitesaddle goatfish or Parupeneus porphyreus) was highly esteemed in early Hawai‘i and was eaten broiled, cooked in leaves, raw or salted lightly for two or three days, then cooked. K?m? were used as an offering to the gods when priests required a red fish. It was an appropriate offering when launching a canoe, in hula ceremonies and sometimes to atone for a sin. One meaning of the word k?m? is master. Persons who had been through a period of learning and were now “master” of an art would make an offering of a k?m?. Weke are also popular food fish, but care should be taken not to eat the head of certain species. The brain reputedly contains toxins which cause disturbed sleep, nightmares and hallucinations.

In Indonesia, people known this kind of fish similarly with Red Mullet. Goatfish also popular in Indonesia as food. People will likely to cooked it in traditional menu as it has a delicious kind of meat. Goatfish are sold fresh or frozen just like the type Komira sell to to customers, the Red Goatfish one.

This article has been published in www.waikikiaquarium.org with the title “Goatfishes”