Common Name: Yellowstripe Goatfish

Distribution: Uncommon in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific region: from the Persian Gulf, Red Sea and East Africa to the Hawaiian, Marquesas and Ducie Islands, north to Ryuku, south to Lord Howe and the Rapa Islands. In Australia recorded from Exmouth in Western Australia through the North West Shelf, the Coral Sea and Great Barrier Reef in Queensland south to northern New South Wales and including Lord Howe Island.

Ecological Notes: Frequents shallow sandy areas of lagoons and seaward reefs and slopes. Depth to 76 m.

Additional Notes: Pale body, elongate black blotch in yellow stripe on side. Similar Mulloidichthys vanicolensis has yellow stripe without blotch and yellow fins. Feeds on crustaceans, molluscs, worms, heart urchins and foramininferans. Often in the company of other species following to feed on prey disturbed as the goatfish feeds with its barbels in the sand. Juveniles around 100 mm long in bottom photograph. Grows to 43 cm.

References: R. Stuart-Smith, G. Edgar, A. Green, I. Shaw, Tropical Marine Fishes of Australia. Reed New Holland Publishers, 2015. p.185.

Atlas of Living Australia website at https://bie.ala.org.au/search?q=Mulloidichthys+flavolineatus. Accessed 08/06/18.

FishBase. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2018. World Wide Web electronic publication. https://fishbase.ca/summary/Mulloidichthys-flavolineatus.html. Accessed 08/06/18.