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We met the Dash-and-dot goatfish, Parupeneus barberinus, in Mediterranean sea of Cyprus while snorkelling among the rocks of the island. We did not expect to have this meeting in the Mediterranean because it is a tropical fish present in all tropical seas and in particular in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. The reason for this sighting, as indeed for other tropical species now present in the Mediterranean, we owe it to the climatic warming of the sea, which creates favorable conditions, and to the Lessepsian migration: that is, to the entry and stabilization of animal and tropical species from the Channel of Suez. triglia linea-punto nel mediterraneo
Triglia linea-punto nel Mediterraneo Dash-and-dot goatfish in Mediterranean Sea Parupeneus barberinus www.intotheblue.it
The Dash-and-dot goatfish (Parupeneus barberinus) is a species of goatfish native to the Indian and Pacific oceans. The dash-and-dot goatfish has the twin chin barbels typical of goatfishes. The body color is white with a black to dark brown stripe (dash) reaching from the upper lip through the eye and along the body, followed by a black spot (dot) at the base of the caudal fin. Above the stripe, the body has a yellowish tint. Dash-and-dot goatfish from deeper water will usually have red stripes and spots. They can reach a maximum length of 60 cm, making them the largest of the family Mullidae.
Triglia linea-punto nel Mediterraneo Dash-and-dot goatfish in Mediterranean Sea Parupeneus barberinus www.intotheblue.it
The dash-and-dot goatfish is considered one of the most abundant species of Parupeneus, and is found in the Indian Ocean and western Pacific Oceans, the east coast of Africa, and the Gulf of Aden to Micronesia and southern Japan to Australia. It is found off reef flats and lagoons on sandy bottoms up to 100 m deep. Dash-and-dot goatfish spend most of their time moving slowly over the bottom searching for prey with their barbels. Their diet includes worms, small crustaceans, and small fish.
Triglia linea-punto nel Mediterraneo Dash-and-dot goatfish in Mediterranean Sea Parupeneus barberinus www.intotheblue.it
Goatfish species are an important fishery in many areas of the world and some species are economically important. In ancient Rome until the end of the second century BCE, two species of goatfish (Mullus barbatus and Mullus surmuletus) were highly sought-after and expensive, not as a delicacy, but for aesthetic pleasure, since the fish assume a variety of colors and shades also during death. Therefore, it was paramount to serve the fish live and let them die before the eyes of the guests.
(extract from Wikipedia)
