Upeneus tragula Richardson 1846

Andréfouët, Serge, Chen, Wei-Jen, Kinch, Jeff, Mana, Ralph, Russell, Barry C., Tully, Dean & White, William T., 2019, Checklist of the marine and estuarine fishes of New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea, western Pacific Ocean, with 810 new records, Zootaxa 4588 (1), pp. 1-360 : 176

Upeneus tragula Richardson 1846 —Freckled goatfish ( Figs 77 , 78 )

Status at New Ireland. First recorded from Kulineua River , New Hanover as Caprupeneus tragula by Munro (1958: 206–207). Specimens photographed at Lissenung Island , Kavieng region by Dietmar Amon on 26 June 2007, and at 5 m depth by Dean Tully on 22 June 2013 ; others photographed at St. KVG20 (east of Enuk Island , Kavieng District) by Serge Andréfouët on 20 Aug. 2014 . NTUM 10609 (1 specimen, St. PD31 , off south side of Tungelo Island, New Hanover, 02°40.045'S 150°25.817'E, 3–47 m depth, 17 June 2016) .

Distribution and habitat. New Ireland: 1, 2.—General distribution: Red Sea and East Africa east to Palau and New Guinea, north to southern Japan, south to northern Australia and New Caledonia. Solitary or in groups, on sand-rubble areas, often near coral reefs, 3–40 m depth. Marine.

Figures

FIGURE 77. Parupeneus barberinus (Lacepède [ex Commerson] 1801) (centre) and Upeneus tragula Richardson 1846 (above and below), Lissenung Island, Kavieng District, 5 m depth, 22 June 2013 (underwater photograph: Dean Tully).

FIGURE 78. Upeneus tragula Richardson 1846, east of Enuk Island, Kavieng District, St. KVG20, 20 Aug. 2014 (underwater photograph: Serge Andréfouët).