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Description:
The striped mullet, Mugil cephalus, can attain 18 inches in length and
reach approximately 3 pounds. Body shape is cylindrical anteriorally, becoming
somewhat compressed toward the posterior. Adult coloration is bluish-gray or
greenish above, becoming silver along the sides of the body, and white on the
ventral surface. There are 6-7 black horizontal bars along the sides of the
body, and no obvious lateral line. The pectoral fins are placed high on the
shoulders, and the pelvic fins are abdominal. The
snout is blunt, and the small mouth is slightly upturned.
Habitat:
Juvenile mullet occupy the high intertidal zone of
estuaries where water temperatures and salinity fluctuate greatly. Typical
habitat includes impounded areas, mangroves, and seagrass beds. Older mullet
inhabit deeper, more stable waters.
Similar Species:
In Florida, the striped mullet is
the more common species, but also occurs with M. curema,
the white mullet, and M. gyrans, the fantail mullet. Differences in
fin rays and fin morphology help separate species.
Range:
Striped mullet occur worldwide from approximately 42° N to 42° S latitude. In the western Atlantic
Ocean, striped mullet range from Cape Cod to Brazil, including the Gulf of
Mexico, Caribbean, and West Indies.
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The striped mullet, Mugil cephalus. Illustration by Diane Rome Peebles, courtesy of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission,
Division of Marine Fisheries.
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School of mullet moving over shallow water
in the Indian River Lagoon. Photo courtesy of B. Yates, Ft. Pierce,
FL. |
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Female striped
mullet have high reproductive capacities, spawning as many as 1.6
million eggs per individual per season. Over a lifetime, a
single female can potentially produce over 16 million eggs!
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