Pseudupeneus maculatus
Spotted goatfish
Same Genus
Distribution
Tropical Atlantic/Caribbean
Description
A row of three squarish black blotches on mid-side with a small splash of dark colour behind eye, narrow blue lines on face and rows of blue spots following scale lines on body, base colour variable but usually pale with yellow or red tinge on back. Can rapidly display a pattern of red blotches on head and body. While hunting it is often shadowed by wrasses, snappers and jacks which feed on the prey disturbed by P. maculatus as it forages in the sand.
Information
Max Size: 30 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 23.2-30.6°C
Depth: 2-110m
Habitat Generalization Index: 6.22
Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.
Conservation and Rarity
IUCN Status: Not Evaluated
Occurrence: Frequent (15.1% of sites)
Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed
Abundance: Few (3 per transect)
Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.
Edit by: Joe Shields