All fish / Mullidae

Bicolor Goatfish

Parupeneus barberinoides

Also known as half-and-half goatfish, swarthy-headed goatfish, bicolour goatfish, dash and dot goatfish, オキナヒメジ, biji nangka, 似条斑副绯鲤

A slender goatfish whose front half is dark reddish brown with a white bar and spots, while the rear half is yellow. It uses a pair of chin barbels to probe the sand for food, which makes it an active and interesting bottom sifter for large reef or fish-only tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

20 cm

Temperature

23 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

500 litres

Keep as

Singly or as a pair in a large tank

Diet

Carnivore: frozen mysis, brine shrimp, chopped seafood, sinking pellets, live worms

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 10 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Pacific: Philippines and Indonesia to Australia, Samoa and Micronesia

Breeding

It scatters pelagic eggs in open water and the larvae drift in the plankton for weeks. It has not been bred in home aquariums.

Good to know

Needs a large tank with a deep, open sand bed and several feedings a day or it will lose condition. It will eat small shrimps, crabs and worms, so it is not safe with ornamental invertebrates.