Dan Schofield, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
desertnaturalist, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
By day, yellow goatfish will form large inactive (non-feeding) schools, often schooling with the smallmouth grunt (Haemulon chrysargyreum). The goatfish and the grunt share a similar overall body shape and color pattern. The similarities between the two species enable their mixed schooling, and enhance protection against predators for both of them. This type of protective association is often called social or protective mimicry. It enables them to avoid predators in today’s fallen world.
CLASS: Osteichthyes (bony fishes)
SUBCLASS: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
ORDER: Perciformes (perch-like fishes)
FAMILY: Mullidae (goatfishes)
GENUS/SPECIES: Mulloidichthys martinicus
Size: Up to 17 in (43 cm)
Diet: Worms, crustaceans, mollusks, and other small invertebrates
Habitat: Reefs from Bermuda and Florida to Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea
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