mexican goatfish
Mulloidichthys dentatus
Goatfish of sandy bottoms near shore, which digs in the sand with its barbels to find food. It occurs from California to Peru.
Also called: salmonete-barbudo, chivo barbón, chivo amarillo, mexican goatfish
- maximum
- 31 cm
- depth
- 3–46 m
who is the mexican goatfish
The bearded goatfish belongs to the family Mullidae and reaches 31 cm. It lives on sand, mud and rocky bottoms near shore, from 3 to 46 m, and forms small schools, sometimes living alone. It uses its barbels to dig in the sand for food. At night it rests on the bottom and changes color and pattern a great deal, showing reddish blotches. Juveniles are pelagic, that is, they live in open water before settling on the bottom. It occurs in the eastern Pacific, from California to Peru, including the Galápagos, and is rare north of southern Baja California.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the mexican goatfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- Juveniles are pelagic and live in the water column before settling on the bottom.
identification
Goatfish with an elongated body and chin barbels it uses to dig in the sand. At night, when it rests on the bottom, it changes color and pattern and shows reddish blotches. Adults are seen over sand, mud and rocky bottoms, sometimes in small groups.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
Found in the eastern Pacific of Latin America, from Mexico to Peru, including the Galápagos, on sandy bottoms.
Habitat: Sand, mud and rocky bottoms near shore, from 3 to 46 m.
rules for the mexican goatfish
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
No danger to anglers. Handle with wet hands and release quickly.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01023, b = 3.09; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Mulloidichthys dentatus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Mulloidichthys dentatusNames by country and language.
