Goatfish

Upeneichthys lineatus has a small, fleshy-lipped mouth with each jaw armed with a single row of conical teeth. Like the other members of the family Mullidae it has two fleshy barbels on its chin. They are highly variable in colour, which ranges from pale cream to deep red, normally with blue and gold lines on the face and thin yellow lines and blue dots along the flanks and tail. They have a distinct mid-lateral stripe, and yellow stripes on the dorsal and anal fins. They may attain a length of 31 centimetres (12 in) They have 9 spines and 8 rays in their dorsal fins and a single spine and 6 rays in their anal fins.

Upeneichthys lineatus is endemic to the temperate seas off eastern and southeastern Australia with the northerly limit of their range being around Fraser Island, Queensland south to Tasmania and west as far as Lakes Entrance, Victoria. See Taxonomy for other areas it may be found.