This species is usually seen alone or paired on lagoon and seaward reefs. They are sometimes shadowed by other fish predators waiting for the digging to dislodge prey that they can snatch before the goatfish does.
Having its parasites picked by a pair of cleaner wrasse, Labroides dimidiatus.
Younger specimens can vary somewhat in color.
Even all yellow.
This one from Jay Lord is nearly all white.
This one is being shadowed by a larger slingjaw wrasse, Epibulus insidiator. The wrasse swam in unison with the goatfish, apparently hoping the goat would stop and dig in the sand, possibly exposing something the wrasse could steal.
This one may have a skin disease. This species seemed fairly susceptible to skin problems; we have seen many with blotchy patterns like this.
Created 17 September 2017
Updated 7 September 2018