MULLIDAE Upeneus tragula, 6.8 cm SL (photo by Seishi Kimura) Upeneus tragula (Richardson, 1846) Freckled Goatfish D VIII, 9; A I, 7; P1 13-14; LLp 28-30; GR 5-7 + 15-18. Body elongate. Chin with 2 slender barbels, usually not reaching rear margin of preopercle. Mouth small; villiform teeth in a narrow band in jaws, on palatines, and in 2 small patches on vomer. Scales present on side of snout; 4 1/2 scales between dorsal fins; 10-11 scales along dorsal edge of caudal peduncle. Color: highly variable in color, from red, to irregular dots and blotches on body; a dark reddish brown to blackish stripe from front of snout to base of caudal fin; head and body above stripe brownish to greenish gray, flecked with small dark reddish brown or blackish spots; upper lobe of caudal fin with 4-6 blackish cross bands, and lower lobe with 5-7; outer third to half of first dorsal fin with a large dark red to black blotch containing 2 to several small yellow spots; second dorsal fin with 3 dark reddish or blackish bands; barbels usually yellow. Size: maximum length about 30 cm, commonly to 25 cm. Distribution: Indo-West Pacific: East Africa to Vanuatu and Palau, north to southern Japan. Remarks: found over sand and mud bottoms near coral reefs, to the depth of 40 m; also common in estuaries. Generally solitary, but forms small to moderately large aggregations at all sizes. (Ukkrit Satapoomin)