Mullus
Genus of ray-finned fishes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mullus is a subtropical marine genus of ray-finned fish of the family Mullidae (goatfish) and includes the red mullets, occurring mainly in the southwest Atlantic near the South American coast and in the Eastern Atlantic including the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.[3] These fish are benthic and can be found resting and feeding over soft substrates.
| Mullus Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| |
| Red mullet (Mullus barbatus) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Division: | Teleostei |
| Order: | Syngnathiformes |
| Family: | Mullidae |
| Genus: | Mullus Linnaeus, 1758[1] |
| Type species | |
| Mullus barbatus Linnaeus, 1758[2] | |
Distribution
Members of the genus Mullus can be found in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Mediterranean Sea. They are often found over soft substrates, such as sand, in which they search for prey using sensitive whiskers.
Species
There are currently four recognized species in this genus:[4]
| Species | Common name | Image |
|---|---|---|
| Mullus argentinae | Argentine goatfish |  |
| Mullus auratus | Red goatfish | .jpg) |
| Mullus barbatus
Linnaeus, 1758 |
Red mullet | .jpg) |
| Mullus surmuletus
Linnaeus, 1758 |
Surmullet | .jpg) |
The following fossil species are known:
- †Mullus bifurcatus Strashimirov, 1972 [otolith] - early-mid Miocene of Bulgaria & Kazakhstan[5][6]
- †Mullus elongatus Steurbart, 1984 [otolith] - Early Miocene of France & Greece[7]
- †Mullus moldavicus Switchenska, 1959 - late middle Miocene of Moldova[8]
An indeterminate Mullus is also known from fossil skeletons from the middle Miocene of the North Caucasus, Russia.[9]
Commercial Significance
The most commercially important of these species is the Red Mullet (M. barbatus) which is common in Mediterranean cuisine and often fished for using seine nets, a practice thought to be damaging as it can remove large numbers of spawning fish.
