Fish Guide

Mullets
Mugil cephalus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia   Phylum: Chordata   Class: Actinopterygii   Order: Mugiliformes   Family: Mugilidae
Genera
Agonostomus Aldrichetta Cestraeus Cahaenomugil Chelon Crenimugil Joturus Liza Moolgarda Mugil Myxus Neomyxus Oedalechilus Rhinomugil Sicamugil Valaomugil Xenomugil

The mullets are a family (Mugilidae) of ray-finned fish found worldwide in coastal temperate and tropical waters, and in some species in fresh water also. Mullets have served as an important source of food in Mediterranean Europe since Roman times. The family includes about 80 species in 17 genera.

Taxonomically, the family is usually treated as the sole member of the order Mugiliformes, but as Nelson says, "there has been much disagreement concerning the relationships" of this family. The presence of fin spines clearly indicates membership in the superorder Acanthopterygii, and in the 1960s Gosline classed them as primitive perciforms, while others have grouped them in Atheriniformes. FishBase follows Gosline in placing the family in the Perciformes.

A number of species of the goatfishes (Mullidae), in particular the red mullet and others in the genus Mullus, are also commonly known as "mullets".

List of Species

• Genus Agonostomus
  • Agonostomus catalai
    Mountain mullet Agonostomus monticola
    Fairy mullet Agonostomus telfairii
• Genus Aldrichetta
  • Yellow-eye mullet Aldrichetta forsteri
• Genus Cestraeus
  • Goldie river mullet Cestraeus goldiei
    Sharp-nosed river mullet Cestraeus oxyrhynchus
    Lobed river mullet Cestraeus plicatilis
• Genus Cahaenomugil
  • Snouted mullet Chaenomugil proboscideus
• Genus Chelon
  • Cape Verde mullet Chelon bispinosus
    So-iny mullet Chelon haematocheilus
    Thicklip grey mullet Chelon labrosus
    Largescale mullet Chelon macrolepis
• Genus Crenimugil
  • Fringelip mullet Crenimugil crenilabis
    Half fringelip mullet Crenimugil heterocheilos
• Genus Joturus
  • Bobo mullet Joturus pichardi
• Genus Liza
  • Abu mullet Liza abu
    Eastern keelback mullet Liza affinis
    Diamond mullet Liza alata
    Flat-tail mullet Liza argentea
    Golden grey mullet Liza aurata
    Keeled mullet Liza carinata
    Grooved mullet Liza dumerili
    Sicklefin mullet Liza falcipinnis
    Largescaled mullet Liza grandisquamis
    Klunzinger's mullet Liza klunzingeri
    Liza mandapamensis
    Otomebora mullet Liza melinoptera
    Broad-mouthed mullet Liza parmata
    Gold-spot mullet Liza parsia
    Persian mullet Liza persicus
    Thinlip mullet Liza ramado
    Ramsay's mullet Liza ramsayi
    South African mullet Liza richardsonii
    Leaping mullet Liza saliens
    Greenback mullet Liza subviridis
    Tade mullet Liza tade
    Striped mullet Liza tricuspidens
    Squaretail mullet Liza vaigiensis
• Genus Moolgarda
  • Longfin mullet Moolgarda pedaraki
• Genus Mugil
  • Banana mullet Mugil bananensis
    Broussonnet's mullet Mugil broussonnetii
    Narrowhead grey mullet Mugil capurrii
    Flathead mullet Mugil cephalus
    White mullet Mugil curema
    Dwarf mullet Mugil curvidens
    Galapagos mullet Mugil galapagensis
    Fantail mullet Mugil gyrans
    Hospe mullet Mugil hospes
    Parassi mullet Mugil incilis
    Liza Mugil liza
    Mugil platanus
    Mullet Mugil rammelsbergii
    Liseta mullet Mugil setosus
    So-iuy mullet Mugil soiuy
    Mugil trichodon
• Genus Myxus
  • Freshwater mullet Myxus capensis
    Sand grey mullet Myxus elongatus
    Myxus multidens
    Myxus petardi
• Genus Neomyxus
  • Neomyxus chaptalii
    Acute-jawed mullet Neomyxus leuciscus
• Genus Oedalechilus
  • Boxlip mullet Oedalechilus labeo
    Hornlip mullet Oedalechilus labiosus
• Genus Rhinomugil
  • Corsula Rhinomugil corsula
    Shark mullet Rhinomugil nasutus
• Genus Sicamugil
  • Yellowtail mullet Sicamugil cascasia
    Burmese mullet Sicamugil hamiltonii
• Genus Valaomugil
  • Bluetail mullet Valamugil buchanani
    Longarm mullet Valamugil cunnesius
    Kanda Valamugil engeli
    Valamugil formosae
    Silver mullet Valamugil georgii
    Valamugil perusii
    Robust mullet Valamugil robustus
    Bluespot mullet Valamugil seheli
    Speigler's mullet Valamugil speigleri
• Genus Xenomugil
  • Thoburn's mullet Xenomugil thoburni

External links

• FishBase entry for the Mugilidae

The Striped or Black Mullet is a delicacy along the Northwest Florida and Alabama gulf coast. Many restaurants in those areas serve mullet as the mainstay of their menus. Fried mullet are the most popular. Smoked, baked, and canned mullet are also eaten. Mullet is usually fileted. The left over frames are often used to make excellent fish stock. The stock makes superb chowders, stews, and bouillabaisse.

Mullet does not keep well after it is caught. If kept on ice it may remain edible for approximately 24 hours. If kept much longer it begins to loose its freshness and becomes nearly inedible. The sooner it can be eaten after being caught, the better.

When shopping for mullet for consumption, choose only those fish with clear eyes. Cloudy eyes are indicators of loss of freshness.

Reference

• J.S. Nelson, Fishes of the World