Goatsbeard brotula (Brotula multibarbata) is a saltwater species recorded in Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia. It is mainly found over reef, at depths of 1–650 m. The main season in Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia runs all year.
Scientific name: Brotula multibarbata · Water: Saltwater · Season: All year
Size: up to 100 cm
The goatsbeard brotula is an ophidiid that lives in the bottom layer on the shelf and upper slope, and is also found in shallow lagoons and on seaward reefs, while its larvae occur far offshore in the epipelagic zone. Adults, from 30 to 90 cm, move down to between 100 and 650 m. It is nocturnal and therefore rarely seen, sheltering in caves and crevices by day and emerging at night to feed on crustaceans, mainly crabs, and on fishes; it is oviparous and its oval pelagic eggs float in a gelatinous mass. It occurs in tropical waters between roughly 33 degrees north and 38 degrees south, is in season all year, and lives from 1 to 650 m, usually between 180 and 220 m. It reaches about 100 cm total length, commonly 30 cm. It is a minor commercial species and a game fish, eaten fresh and selling in the medium price band, with a trophic level of 3.7, high fishing vulnerability at 55 of 100, and low resilience.
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