Doublebar Goatfish

Appearance

Size to 35 cm. White to purple or yellow with orange spots on scales. Black patch around eye, pair of large black bars or spots, one below each dorsal fin, the first extending no further than pectoral base.

Three different colour forms exist for the Doublebar Goatfish. These vary according to location.

The Indo-Australian form is pale with a dark blotch around the eye and two dark bars on the body. There is a yellow spot on each scale and sometimes a faint dark bar on the caudal peduncle. The colouration is stronger in juveniles than adults.

The Pacific form ranges from brown to red with two distinct bars.

The Indian Ocean form has two wedge-shaped bars that become progressively narrower on the belly.

Naming

Double-banded Goatfish, Two-banded Goatfish

Distribution

Indonesia and Philippines to Tonga, South Japan and North Australia.
This species is included in the Parupeneus trifasciatus complex where Parupeneus trifasciatus is restricted to the Indian Ocean and Parupeneus insularis from the Hawaiian Islands, French Polynesia, and Pitcairn Islands to the Marshalls, Mariana, Phoenix, and Samoa Islands.

Behavior

Solitary.

Habitat

Adult Doublebar Goatfish are usually seen on inshore coral reefs and in deep lagoons. Juveniles are more commonly found in surge channels near the intertidal zone. Adults and juveniles are often seen resting on coral or rubble. They occur in small groups or singularly. The species can be found at depths between 1 m and 80 m.

Food

It feeds on crustaceans during the day and fishes and crabs at night.