Upeneus Cuvier 1829

Uiblein, Franz & Motomura, Hiroyuki, 2021, Three new goatfishes of the genus Upeneus from the Eastern Indian Ocean and Western Pacific, with an updated taxonomic account for U. itoui (Mullidae: japonicus-species group), Zootaxa 4938 (3), pp. 298-324 : 302

Genus Upeneus Cuvier 1829

Diagnosis. Dorsal fins VII or VIII + 9; pectoral fins 12–17; principal caudal-fin rays 7 + 8 (median 13 branched); gill rakers 4–9 + 13–24 = 18–33; lateral-line scales 28–39; lateral line complete; small scales present basally on second dorsal, anal and/or caudal fins; small teeth present on vomer and palatines; teeth on jaws multiserial and villiform; body oblong, slightly compressed or nearly rounded; barbels 15–27% SL; snout length 9.1–14% SL, subequal to or slightly shorter than postorbital length (9.7–15% SL); body frequently with one to several longitudinal stripes, varying from yellow to red, brown or black in life; oblique bars often present on caudal-fin lobes, usually retained in preservative when darkly pigmented, and their number, colour and form of diagnostic importance.

Remarks. Forty-six species, including the three new species, distributed in all major oceans. Two Indo-Pacific species in the Mediterranean as Lessepsian migrants. Many species targeted by fisheries or landed as bycatch and can be found in fish markets, having moderate to high local economic value. Many different fishing methods are used including angling, beach seine, gillnetting, trapping and trawling. Most species occur in coastal waters to less than 100 m depth, maximum depth reached is 600 m. Maximum size range among species is about 89 to 300 mm SL.