Flathead grey mullet
| Mugil cephalus Linnaeus, 1758 | ||||
| Family: | Mugilidae (Mullets) |
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| Order: | Mugiliformes | |||
| Class: | Teleostei | |||
| English name: | Flathead grey mullet | |||
| Distribution: | Cosmopolitan in coastal waters of the tropical, subtropical and temperate zones of all seas. Eastern Pacific: California, USA to Chile (Ref. 2850). Western Pacific: Japan to Australia (Ref. 9812). Western Indian Ocean: from India to South Africa (Ref. 4393). Western Atlantic: Nova Scotia, Canada to Brazil (Ref. 7251); Cape Cod to southern Gulf of Mexico (Ref. 26938); absent in the Bahamas and most of West Indies and Caribbean (Ref. 7251, 9761). Eastern Atlantic: Bay of Biscay to South Africa, including the Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea (Ref. 7399). Reported in Sea of Okhotsk (Ref. 50550). | |||
| Adult biology: | Adults are found in coastal waters (Ref. 2850, 44894, 57400), often entering estuaries and rivers (Ref. 2847, 3573, 11230, 44894, 57400), sometimes far-up-river, lagoons and hypersaline environments (Ref. 57400). They are usually in schools over sand or mud bottom (Ref. 2850), between 0 and 10 m, occurring equally in tropical, subtropical and temperate waters (Project MUGIL). They are mainly diurnal, feeding on detritus, micro-algae and benthic organisms (Ref. 56548, 74902, 74760). Juveniles feed on zooplankton until about 3.0 cm SL (Ref. 59043). Reproduction takes place at sea, at various times of the year depending on the location (Ref. 74907, Amour). Adults form schools and migrate offshore to spawn and developing larvae migrate back inshore (Ref. 81659). There is absence of an obligatory freshwater phase in the life cycle (Ref. 74752). Females spawn 0.8 to 2.6 million eggs which develop at sea (Ref. 74912, Chen & Su 1986). Sexually mature at 3 to 4 years (Ref. 74902). Maximum length reported as 120 cm SL (Ref. 7399, 57400, 81659) remains to be confirmed (Project MUGIL). Maximum weight reported as 12 kg (Ref. 56527) seems too high for the area and remains to be confirmed (Project MUGIL). Widely cultivated in freshwater and brackish ponds (Ref. 2847, Jackson 1984, Liao 1981). Marketed fresh, dried, salted, and frozen; roe sold fresh or smoked (Ref. 9321); also used in Chinese medicine (Ref. 12166). | |||
| Diagnosis: | At the early larval stages the urostyle region is sometimes pigmented. At 4.0 mm, 7 caudal rays present; dorsal rays evident. At 6.7 mm, spines of 1st dorsal and rays of 2nd dorsal can be easily counted. At 5.4 mm, full complement of principal caudal rays and anal rays present. At 9.7 mm, secondary caudal rays present. At 35-45 mm SL, formation of 3rd anal spine and recognized as end of larval period. The lower jaw region is characterised by an acute angle of the dentary symphysis and lightly pigmented ventro-opercular and gular regions of the head (Ref. 74869). Feeding begins three to five days after hatching (Ref. 79496).. See also LARVAE table. | |||
| Climate Zone: | subtropical; 8 - 24°C; 62°N - 57°S | |||
| Main Ref: | Sanzo, L.. 1936. (Ref. 226) | |||
| More information: | Allele frequencies | Broodstock | Collaborators | Common names | Countries | Diet composition larvae | Egg dev. | Egg Nursery System | Eggs | FAO areas | Food consumption larvae | Food items | Genetics | Introductions | Larvae | Larval Nursery System | Maturity | Pictures | References | Reproduction | Spawning | Fecundity | Synonyms | | |||
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| Checked by: Giovanardi, Otello |
Modified by: Luna, Susan M. |
Entered by: Papasissi, Christine |
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