Grey mullet
Mugil cephalus
It is a fish that can reach large sizes, from to 80 cm or more. The head is very wide and flattened. The lips are thin. It differs from other mugilids by presenting an adipose membrane with a vertical opening over the eyes, and a blue spot at the base of the pectoral fins. It has two dorsal fins, the first with bony radii. The body is silvery in color and is traversed by some dark horizontal stripes.
It lives in almost every sea and ocean in the world. In Catalonia it is abundant and is found in coastal marine waters, in the estuaries of the principal rivers and in the coastal lagoons.
It has a catadromous life cycle. Adults enter freshwater for food and return to the sea to breed. Food is basically detritivorous and herbivorous.
Distribution
Thin-lipped grey mullet
Chelon ramada
The Thin-lipped grey mullet is a large fish, reaches a maximum of 70 cm and 3 kg of weight. The head is large and broad. The lips are thin, without papillae on upper lip. They have a black spot at the base of the pectoral fins. They have two dorsal fins, the first with bony radii. They are silver in color.
It is distributed along the coastal waters of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. In Catalonia it is very abundant in estuaries, coastal lagoons and wetlands. It can go up the rivers great distances from the mouth.
It has a catadromous life cycle, i.e., they breed in the sea and adults enter inland waters to feed. The diet consists mainly of algae, sediments with organic remains and invertebrates.
Distribution
Thick-lipped grey mullet
Chelon labrosus
Reaches a maximum size of about 60 cm and 4 kg of weight. The upper lip is very thick with several rows of corneal papillae.
It is distributed throughout the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts. It inhabits both coastal marine waters and fresh and brackish waters. In Catalonia it is common in the estuaries of the main rivers and in the coastal lagoons.
Distribution
Golden grey mullet
Chelon aurata
It has a size that rarely exceeds 20-30 cm. The head is broad and flattened, with eyes with a poorly developed adipose eyelid. The upper lip is narrow and has no papillae. It has two separate dorsal fins, the first with bony radii. The back is bluish and the flanks silvery. They have a clearly visible golden spot on the operculum.
It is an eminently marine fish found in both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean, and which can occasionally be found in inland waters when it rises up river estuaries and enters coastal lagoons. It is a very gregarious species and feeds on organic matter, algae and invertebrates.
Distribution