About Mulloidichthys dentatus (Gill, 1862)
Mulloidichthys dentatus has a small, protrusible mouth. Its teeth are small and villiform, and there are no teeth on the roof of its mouth. The snout is blunt, and there are two large barbels on the chin. There are six rows of scales between its two dorsal fins. The body is entirely yellow except for two horizontal blue stripes. This species reaches a maximum total length of 40 cm (16 inches). It is similar in appearance to Mulloidichthys vanicolensis, but differs in having shorter pectoral fins and shorter barbels, as well as fewer gill rakers and fewer pectoral fin rays. This species occurs in the Central-Eastern Pacific Ocean, ranging from southern California, USA to Peru, including the Galápagos Islands. It is rare north of the Baja California peninsula. It inhabits depths from 2 to 110 m (6.6 to 360.9 ft). Adults are primarily found along coasts and around coral reefs, living on sandy, muddy, and rocky nearshore bottoms. Juveniles of this species, by contrast, are more commonly found in the open ocean. Individuals may occur alone, but the species prefers to form small schools. At night, individuals can change their body color to develop red patches.
