Fish

Goldsaddle Goatfish

Parupeneus cyclostomus

A goatfish with notably long chin barbels, ranging through the Indo-West Pacific south to Delagoa Bay.

Also known as goudsaal- bokvis

Goldsaddle Goatfish
Photo: Wayne and Pam Osborn · CC BY-NC 4.0
Typical size
Attains 25 cm
Habitat
Sand and reef

The goldsaddle goatfish carries the pair of long, sensitive chin barbels shared by all goatfish, which it sweeps over the bottom to detect buried prey. It reaches about 25 cm.

An Indo-West Pacific species, it extends south along our coast to around Delagoa Bay, feeding over sand and reef and often turning over the substrate as it hunts small invertebrates and fish.