Mulloidichthys is a genus of ray-finned fish in the family Mullidae native to coral and rocky reefs of the tropical Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Ocean.

Mimicry

Several species of Mulloidichthys mimic the appearance of other fish species. M. mimicus mimics and schools with the snapper Lutjanus kasmira, while M. martinicus mimics and schools with grunts in the genus Haemulon.

Species

There are currently 7 recognized species in this genus:

SpeciesCommon nameImage
Mulloidichthys ayliffe Uiblein, 2011Indian mimic goatfish
Mulloidichthys dentatus (T. N. Gill, 1862)Mexican goatfish
Mulloidichthys flavolineatus (Lacépède, 1801)M. f. flavicaudus Fernández-Silva & J. E. Randall, 2016Yellow-tail goatfish
M. f. flavolineatus (Lacépède, 1801)Yellow-stripe goatfish
Mulloidichthys martinicus (G. Cuvier, 1829)Yellow goatfish
Mulloidichthys mimicus J. E. Randall & Guézé, 1980Mimic goatfish
Mulloidichthys pfluegeri (Steindachner, 1900)Orange goatfish
Mulloidichthys vanicolensis (Valenciennes, 1831)Yellow-fin goatfish