The Goatfish are characters featured in the 2021 Disney/Pixar animated feature film Luca.
Background[]
Personalities[]
The goatfish are shown to live in the underwater area of Portorosso in Italy. They are also shown to swim in schools and follow commands of sea monsters who herd them to wherever they go such as Luca Paguro who uses his cane to herd the goatfish. They are also shown to have a like on grazing seagrass, which resembles that of modern shepherds leading flocks of sheep to graze on grass.
Physical appearances[]
Most adult goatfish have an identical appearance having a light blue coloration around their body, teal fins and tails, as well as each with a pair of bulging white eyes.
Appearances[]
Luca[]
The goatfish are first seen in the beginning of the film when Luca notices that they have escaped from their barn, so he decides to herd them back to the barn to make sure no goatfish is left behind. He rounds up a female goatfish named Caterina, just as he brings her back to two other fish, followed by another goatfish nibbling on a sea monster's hair who reveals that she saw one of them, and later another one named Giuseppe. Having rounded up the goatfish, Luca asks Mona Lisa if any other goatfish are left behind, which she reveals that five smaller goatfish are safe, just as Luca reminds Giuseppe to stay with the group. Noticing that all the goatfish are present, Luca herds the goatfish across the field of seaweed just as they swim past various farmers in the sea. He then brings the goatfish to the grazing spot where there are no other animals in the spot competing with the goatfish, which Luca tells them that everything is all clear, just as the goatfish graze on the seagrass.
Later, Luca then asks the goatfish if they need anything from him, which he gets no response from either one of them. Later, Luca approaches Giuseppe interacting with an alarm clock and as she sees a boat above the surface, he alerts the goatfish to hide into an alcove, but not before Luca hears his mother Daniela calling him for lunch. Just as Luca approaches his mother who is worried that he is two minutes late, he commands the goatfish to stay in their barn. After a conversation with his family, Luca herds the goatfish to the grazing spot, but not before he follows a path of objects from the surface and later encountering Alberto wearing a diver suit.
The next day, Luca creates a rock sculpture that looks like him which he calls it "Smuca", just as he tells the goatfish that Smuca is in charge of herding the goatfish so that he would spend more time with Alberto in the human world. Later after Luca returns home to the sea, he brings the goatfish to the spot where he usually herds them by his family's house. During a carefree montage with Luca and Alberto, the goatfish later arrive at the same spot where the Smuca statue was placed. Although they do not appear again throughout the rest of the film, in the post-credits scene where Uncle Ugo (who is swimming alone in the deepest part of the ocean) finds Giuseppe swimming by himself, he mistakes Giuseppe for Luca, as he thinks that the people above the surface are hostile with him. Giuseppe later swims away from Ugo, ending the scene.
Disney Parks[]
Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration![]
A school of goatfish also appeared in the Luca-themed float in the Pixar Fest parade "Better Together" at Disney California Adventure. They are shown in the back view of the float as shown through an animated screen during the parade.
Trivia[]
- One of the missing goatfish named "Enrico" (also one of Giuseppe's friends) is a possible reference to Enrico Casarosa, the director of Luca.
- The way the goatfish are depicted in Luca uttering actual goat-like sounds makes it a pun between goatfish and real-life goats, making them a visual interpretation of the goatfish.
- Additionally, despite their name, they closely do not resemble real-life goatfish, a real-life species of fish part of the Mullidae family.
Gallery[]
v - e - d  | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|