Fish ID

Family Mugilidae, MULLETS

Description: color bluish-gray or green above, shading to silver on sides, with indistinct horizontal black barrings, white below; fins lightly scaled at base, unscaled above; blunt nose and small mouth; second dorsal fin originates behind that of the anal.

Similar fish: white mullet, M. curema; fantail mullet, M. gyrans (both white and fantail mullet have black blotch at base of pectoral fin, which is lacking in the black mullet).

Where found: INSHORE.

Size: roe mullet common to 3 pounds, but in aquariums known to reach 12 pounds or more.

Remarks: adults migrate OFFSHORE in large schools to spawn; juveniles migrate INSHORE at about 1 inch in size, moving far up tidal creeks; frequent leapers; feeds on algae, detritus, and other tiny marine forms.

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 9th, 2006 at 12:39 pm and is filed under Fish ID. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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