West African goatfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids West African goatfish |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Mullidae |
| Genus: | Pseudupeneus |
| Species: |
P. prayensis
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| Binomial name | |
| Pseudupeneus prayensis (Cuvier, 1829)
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| Synonyms | |
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Upeneus prayensis Cuvier, 1829 |
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The West African goatfish (scientific name: Pseudupeneus prayensis) is a type of goatfish. It's a marine fish, meaning it lives in the ocean. This fish belongs to the Mullidae family, which is the family of goatfishes. It can grow up to 55 centimeters (about 21 inches) long. The name "prayensis" comes from Praia, the capital city of Cape Verde. This is where the first fish of this kind was found and described.
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What the West African Goatfish Looks Like
The West African goatfish has a body that is a bit flattened from side to side. Its head is not very rounded. It has a single spine on the back edge of its gill cover. Below its chin, it has two thick feelers called barbels. These barbels help the fish find food on the seabed.
Its mouth has strong, cone-shaped teeth. Some of the teeth in its upper jaw point backward. You can see these teeth even when its mouth is closed. This fish does not have teeth on the roof of its mouth.
The first dorsal fin on its back has 8 spines, but the first one is very short. The second dorsal fin has one spine and 8 soft rays. Its body is covered with large scales. Along its side, it has a line of 28 to 29 scales, which is called the lateral line.
This fish is usually a rosy or pinkish color. It has three or four red lines running along its body. The biggest West African goatfish can be about 55 cm (21 in) long. However, they are more commonly found at 30 to 35 cm (12 to 14 in) long.
Where the West African Goatfish Lives
The West African goatfish lives in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. You can find it along the coast of Africa, from southern Morocco all the way down to Angola. It also lives around the Cape Verde Islands.
This fish is very important for fishing in West Africa. Since 1987, it has also been seen a few times in the Mediterranean Sea, but this is rare.
Habitat and Biology of the West African Goatfish
The West African goatfish mostly lives over muddy or sandy parts of the ocean floor. Here, it uses its barbels to search for and eat small creatures that live on or in the seabed. These small creatures are called benthic invertebrates.
Sometimes, you can also find this fish around rocky reefs. It can live in waters as deep as 300 m (980 ft). It is also common to find these fish in estuaries, which are areas where rivers meet the sea.
Why This Fish Is Important to People
The West African goatfish is a very important fish for people who fish along the West African coast. Fishermen catch them mainly using large nets called trawls. They are also caught using other types of nets, like trammel nets and entangling nets.
In Ghana, this species is one of the most important fish caught by coastal fishermen. In Senegal, it is also a key resource. Both large fishing companies and smaller, local fishing boats catch this fish.
 | Delilah Pierce |
 | Gordon Parks |
 | Augusta Savage |
 | Charles Ethan Porter |
