Yellowfin goatfish habitat
This species inhabits sandy bottoms of reef flats, lagoons, coastal and seaward reefs, generally in deeper waters than Mulloidichthys flavolineatus (Randall 1999). It has also been recorded in seagrass beds (Berkström et al. 2012). It is benthopelagic (Living and feeding near the bottom as well as in midwaters or near the surface). It is found in large, inactive aggregations by day in coral reefs, dispersing to sand flats to feed at night. Sometimes it mixes with Lutjanus kasmira and shows blue stripes. It feeds on small worms and crustaceans (Mundy 2005, Lieske and Myers 1994), ophiurids, small molluscs, heart urchins, and foraminifera. Maximum size recorded is 38 cm TL (Randall 1999). At Aqaba in the Red Sea, this species spawns from between June and August (Wahbeh 1992). Both males and females reach maturity at 24 cm SL (Jehangeer 2003)
