Teleostei (teleosts) >
Mugiliformes (Mullets) >
Mugilidae (Mullets)
Eponymy: Not an eponym, but recorded by Forsskål as a local Arabic name for this species. (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Issue
Genetic data indicate that it is a complex of species having apparently similar distribution ranges in the Indo-Pacific (Ref. 114224).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; freshwater; brackish; reef-associated; catadromous (Ref. 46888); depth range 0 - 3 m (Ref. 86942). Tropical; 35°N - 32°S, 28°E - 135°W
Indo-Pacific: Red Sea, south to Transkei, South Africa (Ref. 4393) and east to the Hawaiian and Marquesan islands, north to southern Japan, south to New Caledonia and Norfolk Island (Ref. 8879) and Tuamotu Islands (Ref. 90102).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 60.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 9710); common length : 40.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5450); max. published weight: 8.0 kg (Ref. 37816)
Dorsal spines (total): 5; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8 - 9; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 9. Diagnosis: Characterized by having membranous, digitate posterior margin on scales; snout shorter than eye diameter; slender maxilla and weakly curved ventrally at posterior tip, partially or completely concealed; poorly developed adipose eyelid as rim around eye; preorbital weakly concave on anteroventral edge (Ref. 90102).
Found in coastal waters but enters estuaries and rivers where they feed on microalgae, filamentous algae, forams, diatoms, and detritus associated with sand and mud (Ref. 9812). Form schools. Oviparous, eggs are pelagic and non-adhesive (Ref. 205). Also caught using stakenets, barrier nets, and pouch nets during spawning; also taken as bycatch (Ref. 9812). Marketed fresh and perhaps salted, boiled (Thailand), canned or frozen (Australia); roe salted (Ref. 9812).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Myers, R.F., 1991. Micronesian reef fishes. Second Ed. Coral Graphics, Barrigada, Guam. 298 p. (Ref. 1602)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial
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Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 25.2 - 29.3, mean 28.5 °C (based on 3155 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5625 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01202 (0.01052 - 0.01374), b=2.96 (2.93 - 2.99), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 2.3 ±0.14 se; based on food items.
Generation time: 4.8 ( na - na) years. Estimated as median ln(3)/K based on 2
growth studies.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.23-0.28).
Prior r = 0.35, 95% CL = 0.23 - 0.53, Based on 2 data-limited stock assessments.
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Moderate vulnerability (40 of 100).
Climate Vulnerability (Ref.
125649): Very high vulnerability (82 of 100).
Nutrients (Ref.
124155): Calcium = 53.4 [20.9, 168.7] mg/100g; Iron = 0.614 [0.274, 1.463] mg/100g; Protein = 19.1 [17.2, 20.9] %; Omega3 = 0.145 [0.069, 0.311] g/100g; Selenium = 21.9 [11.0, 49.6] μg/100g; VitaminA = 53.2 [11.9, 234.3] μg/100g; Zinc = 1.74 [1.10, 2.70] mg/100g (wet weight); based on
nutrient studies.
