Mediterranean invasive species factsheet www.iucn-medmis.org

Species report molluccensis (Goldband ) AFFILIATION FISHES

SCIENTIFIC NAME AND COMMON NAME REPORTS Upeneus molluccensis 6

Key Identifying Features from the eye to the tail.

This is a medium-sized fish up to 20 cm in length (commonly 7–18 cm) with an elongated, moderately compressed body. It has a rounded snout with two short, thin barbels. Two well-separated dorsal fins are present; the first of them has 8 spines (the first spine is minute and the second spine is the largest), while the second fin has 8–9 soft rays, directly above the anal fin (which has 1 spine and 6–8 soft rays). Between the two dorsal fins there are 5–7 scales. The tail fin is deeply forked, the upper lobe marked with diagonal black bars.

The dorsal colour is pinkish-red, and the belly is white. A distinct longitudinal yellow stripe runs

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steep- or very steep-sloping heads. has no yellow longitudinal stripe; both tail fin lobes are striped; and it has seven dorsal spines. Pseudupeneus prayensis has a spine on the bony flap that covers the gills, and no stripes on the tail fin.

Other species that look similar

Identification and Habitat

The goldband goatfish is found in coastal waters with muddy and sandy substrates at depths of 20-130 m, where it forms large schools. It usually swims fast, stopping briefly to feed on benthic detected by the barbels on its chin.

Reproduction

The spawning season extends from the end of July to October.

Similar Species History and Route of Introduction Five species of the family Mullidae occur in the Mediterranean: two are non-indigenous Red Sea The goldband goatfish is an Indo-West Pacific species, the goldband goatfish Upeneus species recorded from the Red Sea to New moluccensis and the brownband or Por’s goatfish Caledonia, and north to Japan. Introduced to the U. pori; and two are the indigenous Mediterranean via the Suez Canal, it was first Mediterranean , the red recorded in Palestine in 1947 (as Mulloides barbatus and the striped mullet M. surmuletus. auriflamma) and subsequently in Lebanon, Syria, The fifth member of the family is the west Turkey, Rhodes, Egypt, Cyprus and Libya. The African goatfish, Pseudupeneus prayensis. goldband goatfish is now very abundant along the Levant coasts. Both Mullus species are easily distinguished from the goldband goatfish U. moluccensis by the lack of teeth in their upper jaws, and their

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Ecological Impacts Further Reading

Each of the Mullidae species occupies a Ozvarol Z.A.B. et al., 2010. Growth and different, depth-related habitat; however, Reproduction of Goldband Goatfish (Upeneus interaction and possible competition between moluccensis Bleeker (1855)) from the Gulf of them for the same prey (small , Antalya (Turkey). J. and Veterinary molluscs, etc.) might occur. The non-indigenous Advances, Vol. 9, Iss. 5, 939-945. mullets occupy shallow waters (20–30 m in depth), whereas the indigenous species dominate http://www.ciesm.org/atlas/Upeneusmoluccensis.php greater depths. High densities of the nonindigenous and U. pori might therefore displace the native species (Mullus spp.).

Conversely, the goldband goatfish is reported to be one of the prey species consumed by Saurida undosquamis, another Red Sea migrant.

Economic Impacts

The goldband goatfish is commercially important in trawl fisheries in the Levant Sea. It is sold fresh in markets, or utilized for fish meal. In the eastern Mediterranean, the two non-native Upeneus species account for a significant proportion of commercial Mullidae catches. However, there are no precise data for the annual catch of goldband goatfish. Fishermen normally find it difficult to separate goatfishes into different species and so they are considered to be a single catch category in most fishery statistics.

The reduction in catches of native goatfishes ( and striped mullet) and its possible correlation with the non-indigenous species have not yet been assessed.

Management Options

These include a) early eradication of new populations by MPA technicians through fishing, and b) maintenance of healthy and abundant assemblages of top predators to encourage natural control through predation.

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Legend

Algae Angiosperm Cnidarians Centre for Mediterranean Molluscs Crustaceans Ascidians Cooperation Combjellies / Fishes Ctenophores

More Information: Guide and reports platform for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Mediterranean. www.iucn-medmis.org

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MPAs, Country Date Density Measure

Datca-Bozburun, Turkey Before 2013 -- --

Gokova, Turkey 23/06/2014 -- --

Datca-Bozburun, Turkey 23/06/2014 -- --

-- 19/09/2014 -- --

-- 20/09/2014 -- --

Fethiye-Gocek, Turkey 23/10/2014 -- --

How to cite this tab: Upeneus molluccensis - Invasive Alien Species Fact Sheet for Mediterranean Network of MPAs. From Online Database MedMIS (IUCN Center for Mediterranean Cooperation, Download date 27/09/2021.

More information about this species from: Otero, M., Cebrian, E., Francour, P., Galil, B., Savini, D. 2013. Monitoring Marine Invasive Species in Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas (MPAs): A strategy and practical guide for managers. Malaga, Spain: IUCN. 136 pages www.iucn.org/dbtw-wpd/edocs/2013-008-Es.pdf .

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