Common Name: Bluestriped Goatfish

Distribution: Common in the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Endemic to eastern and southern Australia. Recorded from southern Queensland to Western Australia, and including Tasmania, Lord Howe and Norfolk Island.

Ecological Notes: Frequents inshore areas and sheltered bays with sandy or rocky substrates. Depth 5 – 100 m, usually 5 – 40 m.

Additional Notes: Highly variable in colouration, from red to brown, night colouration sometimes pale red with white blotches. Blue lines from below eye to snout and rows of blue dots from eye to tail above lateral line. Feeds mainly on crustaceans and other organisms detected in the sand with its barbels. Sometimes in small groups, juveniles often in company with other goatfish species. Adult in top photograph, juvenile approximately 10 cm long in lower photograph. Grows to 40 cm.

References: Kuiter, R. H., Coastal Fishes of South-Eastern Australia. Published by Crawford House Press Pty. Ltd., 1993. p.205.

Atlas of Living Australia website at https://bie.ala.org.au/search?q=Upeneichthys+lineatus. Accessed 12/07/18.

FishBase. Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2018. World Wide Web electronic publication. https://fishbase.ca/summary/Upeneichthys-lineatus.html. Accessed 12/07/18.