Yellowsaddle Goatfish

Parupeneus cyclostomus

Also known as gold saddle goatfish, goldsaddle goatfish, yellow goatfish, blue goatfish, yellowsaddle goat fish, yellow saddle goatfish, goatfish, ปลาแพะ, ikan biji nangka, マルクチヒメジ, ikan kuniran, biji nangka

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A long-bodied goatfish with a pair of sensory chin barbels, found in two main colour forms: an all-golden yellow phase and a bluish-grey phase with a yellow saddle near the tail. It is kept for its constant, busy sifting of sand with its barbels, which helps turn over the substrate in large fish-only aquariums.

Care at a glance

Care level: Moderate
Temperament: Semi
Adult size: 35 cm
Temperature: 24 to 28 °C
pH: 8.1 to 8.4
Smallest tank: 1000 litres
Keep as: Singly, or a pair in a very large system
Diet: Carnivore: mysis, krill, chopped shrimp, squid, clam and other meaty seafood, fed several times a day
Swims: Bottom of the tank
Lifespan: 5 to 10 years
Water: Marine (saltwater)
Wild range: Indo-Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa to Hawaii, southern Japan and Australia

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

Grows to around 35 to 50 cm and eats small fish, shrimps, crabs and other invertebrates, so it is only suitable for very large fish-only systems with deep sand. Needs frequent feeding and good water quality, and can become thin if underfed.