Mugil cephalus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	ACTINOPTERYGII	MUGILIFORMES	MUGILIDAE

Scientific Name:

Mugil cephalus

Species Authority:

Linnaeus, 1758

Common Name/s:

English	–	Black Mullet, Black True Mullet, Bright Mullet, Bully Mullet, Callifaver Mullet, Common Grey Mullet, Common Mullet, Flathead Greymullet, Flathead Grey Mullet, Flathead Mullet, Grey Mullet, Haarder, Hardgut Mullet, Mangrove Mullet, Mullet, River Mullet, Sea Mullet, Springer
French	–	Cabot, Carida, Caridou, Cremole, Meuil, Muge, Muge à Groose Tête, Muge Cabot, Muge Céphale, Mugo Fangous, Mujou, Mulet, Mulet à Grosse Tête, Mulet-cabot, Mulet Cabot, Mulet Jaune, Mulet Jeune, Poisson Queue Bleue, Testard, Testu
Spanish	–	Albur, Bullûa, Cabeçut, Cabezudo, Cachamba, Capitán, Capiton, Cap Pla, Céfalo, Galupe, Iliça de Cap Gros, Iliça Sabada, Ilissa Lobarrera, Lebranche, Lisa, Lisa Cabezuda, Lisa Común, Lisa Pardete, Lisa Rayada, Lissa Amaria, Liza Cabezona, Lizarra, Lizza, Machu, Machuto, Mugil, Mugil Común, Mujol, Mule, Muxo, Pardete, Pordete

Synonym/s:

Mugil albula Linnaeus, 1766

Mugil ashanteensis Bleeker, 1863

Mugil cephalotus Valenciennes, 1836

Mugil dobula Günther, 1861

Mugil gelatinosus Klunzinger, 1872

Mugil grandis Castelnau, 1879

Mugil hypselosoma Ogilby, 1897

Mugil japonicus Temminck & Schlegel, 1845

Mugil lineatus Valenciennes, 1836

Mugil mexicanus Steindachner, 1876

Mugil muelleri Klunzinger, 1880

Mugil mülleri Klunzinger, 1880

Mugil provensalis Risso, 1810

Mugil tang Bloch, 1794

Mugil vulpinus Nardo, 1847

Myxus barnardi Gilchrist & Thompson, 1914

Myxus caecutiens Günther, 1876

Myxus superficialis Klunzinger, 1870

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Published:

2012

Assessor/s:

Kottelat, M. & Freyhof, J.

Reviewer/s:

Bogutskaya, N. & Smith, K.

Contributor/s:

Larson, H. & Pippard, H.

Justification:
This is a widespread species with no known major threats. It is listed as Least Concern.

History:

2008

–

Least Concern

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species is widespread throughout the tropics and sub-tropical seas to warm temperate regions.
Countries:	Native: Albania; Algeria; American Samoa (American Samoa); Australia (New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia); Bangladesh; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Cook Islands; Croatia; Cyprus; Egypt; Fiji; France; French Polynesia; Georgia; Gibraltar; Greece; Guam; India; Indonesia; Israel; Italy; Japan; Kiribati; Lebanon; Libya; Madagascar; Malaysia; Marshall Islands; Mauritius; Mexico; Micronesia, Federated States of; Monaco; Montenegro; Morocco; Mozambique; New Caledonia; New Zealand; Norfolk Island; Northern Mariana Islands; Pakistan; Palau; Palestinian Territory, Occupied; Papua New Guinea; Philippines; Portugal; Réunion; Romania; Russian Federation; Samoa; Serbia (Serbia); Seychelles; Slovenia; Solomon Islands; South Africa; Spain; Syrian Arab Republic; Taiwan, Province of China; Tanzania, United Republic of; Thailand; Timor-Leste; Tonga; Tunisia; Turkey; Ukraine; United States (Georgia, Hawaiian Is.); Vanuatu; Viet Nam; Wallis and Futuna
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	This species is abundant in most areas, especially so in subtropical to warm temperate regions (less so in the tropics).
Population Trend:	Stable

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This species is pelagic near shores, it sometimes forages in lagoons, estuaries and lower courses of rivers and can tolerate freshwater. It is known to breed in its third year of life: adults school in estuaries then move out to sea to spawn in coastal surface water, before returning to estuaries and freshwater (Harrison and Senou 1999). Juveniles feed on zooplankton, larger individuals filter algae, detritus, sediment and small invertebrates.
Systems:	Freshwater; Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

This species is pelagic near shores, it sometimes forages in lagoons, estuaries and lower courses of rivers and can tolerate freshwater. It is known to breed in its third year of life: adults school in estuaries then move out to sea to spawn in coastal surface water, before returning to estuaries and freshwater (Harrison and Senou 1999). Juveniles feed on zooplankton, larger individuals filter algae, detritus, sediment and small invertebrates.

Systems:

Freshwater; Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	There are no major threats currently known. Although it is a sought-after food fish, it is sold cultured as well as wild-caught. It forms half the commercial mullet catch in eastern Australia and Tonga (Harrison and Senou 1999).

Major Threat(s):

There are no major threats currently known. Although it is a sought-after food fish, it is sold cultured as well as wild-caught. It forms half the commercial mullet catch in eastern Australia and Tonga (Harrison and Senou 1999).

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	This species occurs in a number of protected areas within its world-wide range.

Conservation Actions:

This species occurs in a number of protected areas within its world-wide range.

Citation:	Kottelat, M. & Freyhof, J. 2012. Mugil cephalus. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 24 May 2013.
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