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Home > Biological Info > White Mullet

Biological Info: White Mullet

White Mullet
Scientific Name:
Mugil curema
Common Names:
Silver Mullet
Range & Habitat:
 Gulfwide in brackish and saline estuaries and coastal waters. White mullet are much less likely to be found in low salinity or freshwater areas than are striped mullet or mountain mullet.
Identification & Biology:
 The white mullet at first glance, looks like a slightly smaller size version of the striped mullet, without the stripes. Its body is round in cross-section and elongated, with the two dorsal fins being widely separated. Since striped mullet under about 6 inches in length don't have stripes, telling the two species apart when small can be difficult. The only sure way is to count the number of soft fin rays in the anal fin; the striped mullet has 8 rays in the fin and the white mullet has 9.

White mullet have similar food habits to the striped mullet, consuming algae, and tiny animals and detritus gleaned from the large amounts of sand and mud that they consume. A major difference between white mullet and its larger cousin is that white mullet spawn in the spring rather than the fall. Pre-spawn fish begin to stage in lower estuaries in March. Like the striped mullet, white mullet will spawn 40 or more miles at sea, near the edge of the continental shelf. White mullet do not have as strong of a tendency to school as the striped mullet and are fewer in number, so they are less often caught by fishermen seeking mullet for bait. When caught, however, they are an excellent bait fish.
Size:
 Typically under 1 pound, but they can occasionally be as large as 3 pounds.
Food Value:
 Like the striped mullet, the white mullet has an oily flesh making it very good for preparations such as smoking or broiling, but a disappointment when fried. White mullet are excellent bait fish.

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