Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

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Fisheries and
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Species Fact Sheets
Mugil cephalus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Mugil cephalus: (click for more)
Mugil cephalus: (click for more)
Synonyms
Mugil oer Forsskl,
FAO Names
En - Flathead grey mullet, Fr - Mulet grosse tte, Sp - Pardete.
3Alpha Code: MUF Taxonomic Code: 1650100102
Diagnostic Features
Body cilindrical, robust. Head broad, its width more than width of mouth cleft; adipose eyelid well developed,
covering most of pupil; upper lip thin, without papillae, labial teeth of upper jaw small, straight, dense, usually
in several rows; mouth cleft ending below posterior nostril. Two dorsal fins; the first with 4 spines; the second
with 8-9 soft rays; origin of first dorsal fin nearer to snout tip than to caudal fin base; origin of second dorsal fin
at vertical between a quarter and a half along anal fin base. Anal fin with 8 soft finrays. Pectoral fins with 16-
19 rays; pectoral axillary about one-third length of fin. Pyloric caeca 2. Scales in leteral series 36-45. Colour
back blue/green, flanks and belly pale or silvery; scales on back and flanks usually streaked to form
longitudinal stripes; dark pectoral axillary blotch.
Geographical Distribution
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Species distribution
Mugi l cephal us
Base layers
FAO f ishing ar eas
200 naut ical miles ar cs
A cosmopolitan species from tropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic (from Bay Biscay southward, also
whole of Mediterranean and Black Sea), Pacific, and Indian Ocean. Introduced into Caspian Sea.
Habitat and Biology
Occurs at temperatures ranging from 8-247deg; C in calm waters close to shore, around mouths of stream and
inlets, and brackish bays and lagoons, rivers and harbors.Usually found in schools over sand ot mud
bottom.Mainly diurnal, feeds on zooplancton, benthic organisms and detritus. Also takes diatom algae and
small invertebrates. Feeds occasionally at the surface.
Size
Maximum 120 cm; common 35-50 cm.
Interest to Fisheries
Caught with beach seines, gillnets, castnets, liftnets, barriernets, trammel nets, and other artisanal gear. Can be
used in aquaculture if stock is collected from the sea. The total catch reported for this species to FAO for 1999
was 27 306 t. The countries with the largest catches were Korea, Republic of (9 678 t) and Venezuela (5 151
t).
Marketed fresh dried, salted, and frozen; roe sold fresh or smoked.
5000 km
2000 nmi
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department
Global Capture Production for species (tonnes)
Mugil cephalus
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
0k
100k
200k
Source: FAO FishStat
Global Aquaculture Production for species (tonnes)
Mugil cephalus
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
0k
100k
200k
300k
Source: FAO FishStat
Local Names
Afrikaans : Platkop-harder .
Albanian : Qefulli i vers .
Arabic : Anubah , Araaby , Asfatiya , Beyah Biah , Biyah , Bouchkfa , Bouri , Gawafa , Gutarana .
Bulgarian : Keffal .
Cantonese : Wu tau , Wu tau tze .
Catalan : Cabeut , Cabut , Capgrs , Llissa cabuda , Llissa llobarrera , Llssera , Llssera testona ,
Retallat .
Danish : Multe , Storhovedet multe .
Dutch : Diklipharder .
English : Black mullet , Bully mullet , Common grey mullet , Flathead mullet , Grey mullet , Hardgut
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department
mullet , Sea mullet , Striped mullet .
Fijian : Koto .
Finnish : Juovakeltti .
Fon : Guseou .
French : Muge cabot , Mulet cabot , Poisson queue bleue .
German : Grosskopf .
Greek : Cephalos , Kphalos .
Hawaiian : Ama-ama , Pua .
Hebrew : Kifon gedol hazosh .
Icelandic : Rndungur .
Italian : Cefalo , Cefalo mazzone , Muggine .
Japanese : Bora .
Krio : Kunungui , Lombbie , Ma sek , Mollit .
Malay/Indonesian : Belanak , Jumpul , Kedera , Rapang .
Maltese : Mulett tal-iswed .
Maori : Kanae .
N Kwnyi : Krmii , Krmil .
Nenema : Maalan , Naxoc .
Norwegian : Multe .
Polish : Mugil cefal .
Portuguese : Mugem , Tainha cabea achatada .
Rapan : Auaree , Kapae .
Rumanian : Chefal .
Russian : Loban .
Saipanese Carolinian : Aitam , Laiguan-asut .
Serbo-Croat : Cipal , Cipal glavas , Cipli , Haskefal .
Spanish : Capitn , Galupe , Lisa comn , Lisa pardete , Mjol , Mugil comn , Pardete .
Swahili : Mkizi .
Swedish : Stothovad multe , Tjocklppad multe .
Tagalog : Aligasin , Banak , Talilong .
Tokelauan : Miil-budhi-dhirr .
Turkish : Haskefal baligi , Kefal .
Related links
Check this species at FishBase
Bibliography
Fischer, W.; G. Bianchi (eds.). - 1984 FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Western Indian
Ocean (Fishing Area 51). Prepared and printed with the support of the Danish International Development
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department
Agency (DANIDA). Rome, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, Vol. I-6: pag. var.
Fischer, W.; G. Bianchi; W. B. Scott (eds.). - 1981Fiches FAO d'identification des espces pour les besoins de
la pche. Atlantique centre-est; zones de pche 34, 47 (en partie). Canada Fonds de Dpt. Ottawa, Ministre
des Pcheries et Ocans Canada, en accord avec l'Organisation des Nations Unies pour l'Alimentation et
l'Agriculture, Vol. 1-7: pag. var. Fishbase: ICLARM .
Alegre, M., J. Lleonart & J. Veny. - 1992 Espcies Pesqueres d'inters comercial. Nomenclatura oficial
catalana. Generalitat de Catalunya. Departament de Cultura, DARP, TERMCAT. 64 pp. Base de datos
ICTIMED (WWW Work: D. Lloris & Justino Martnez).
Ben-Tuvia, A. - 1986 Mugilidae. In: P.J.P. Whitehead et al., (eds.). Fishes of the North-eastern Atlantic and
the Mediterranean (FNAM). Unesco, Paris, vol. III: 1197-1204.
Bini, G. - 1965Catlogo de los nombres de peces, moluscos y crustceos de importancia comercial en el
Mediterrneo. FAO, Rome: i-xv + 407 pp.
Lloris, D., J. Rucabado, LL del cerro, F. Portas, M. Demestre & A. Roig. - 1984Tots els peixos del mar
Catal. I: Llistat de Cites i de referncies. Treballs Soc. Cat. Ict. Herp., 1: 1-208.
Thomson, J. M. - 1990 Mugilidae. In: J.C. Quero et al., (eds.) Check-list of the fishes of the eastern tropical
Atlantic (CLOFETA). Unesco, Portugal, vol. II: 855-859.
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department