Mullet (fish): Difference between revisions

There are other meanings of the word mullet

Mullets
Mugil cephalus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Mugiliformes
Family:	Mugilidae
Genera
Agonostomus Aldrichetta Cestraeus Cahaenomugil Chelon Crenimugil Joturus Liza Moolgarda Mugil Myxus Neomyxus Oedalechilus Rhinomugil Sicamugil Valaomugil Xenomugil

The mullets are a family (Mugilidae) of ray-finned fish found worldwide in coastal temperate and tropical waters, and in some species in fresh water also. Mullets have served as an important source of food in Mediterranean Europe since Roman times. The family includes about 80 species in 17 genera.

Taxonomically, the family is usually treated as the sole member of the order Mugiliformes, but as Nelson says, "there has been much disagreement concerning the relationships" of this family. The presence of fin spines clearly indicates membership in the superorder Acanthopterygii, and in the 1960s Gosline classed them as primitive perciforms, while others have grouped them in Atheriniformes. FishBase follows Gosline in placing the family in the Perciformes.

A number of species of the goatfishes (Mullidae), in particular the red mullet and others in the genus Mullus, are also commonly known as "mullets".

• Genus Agonostomus
  • Agonostomus catalai
  • Mountain mullet Agonostomus monticola
  • Fairy mullet Agonostomus telfairii
• Genus Aldrichetta
  • Yellow-eye mullet Aldrichetta forsteri
• Genus Cestraeus
  • Goldie river mullet Cestraeus goldiei
  • Sharp-nosed river mullet Cestraeus oxyrhynchus
  • Lobed river mullet Cestraeus plicatilis
• Genus Cahaenomugil
  • Snouted mullet Chaenomugil proboscideus
• Genus Chelon
  • Cape Verde mullet Chelon bispinosus
  • So-iny mullet Chelon haematocheilus
  • Thicklip grey mullet Chelon labrosus
  • Largescale mullet Chelon macrolepis
• Genus Crenimugil
  • Fringelip mullet Crenimugil crenilabis
  • Half fringelip mullet Crenimugil heterocheilos
• Genus Joturus
  • Bobo mullet Joturus pichardi
• Genus Liza
  • Abu mullet Liza abu
  • Eastern keelback mullet Liza affinis
  • Diamond mullet Liza alata
  • Flat-tail mullet Liza argentea
  • Golden grey mullet Liza aurata
  • Keeled mullet Liza carinata
  • Grooved mullet Liza dumerili
  • Sicklefin mullet Liza falcipinnis
  • Largescaled mullet Liza grandisquamis
  • Klunzinger's mullet Liza klunzingeri
  • Liza mandapamensis
  • Otomebora mullet Liza melinoptera
  • Broad-mouthed mullet Liza parmata
  • Gold-spot mullet Liza parsia
  • Persian mullet Liza persicus
  • Thinlip mullet Liza ramado
  • Ramsay's mullet Liza ramsayi
  • South African mullet Liza richardsonii
  • Leaping mullet Liza saliens
  • Greenback mullet Liza subviridis
  • Tade mullet Liza tade
  • Striped mullet Liza tricuspidens
  • Squaretail mullet Liza vaigiensis
• Genus Moolgarda
  • Longfin mullet Moolgarda pedaraki
• Genus Mugil
  • Banana mullet Mugil bananensis
  • Broussonnet's mullet Mugil broussonnetii
  • Narrowhead grey mullet Mugil capurrii
  • Flathead mullet Mugil cephalus
  • White mullet Mugil curema
  • Dwarf mullet Mugil curvidens
  • Galapagos mullet Mugil galapagensis
  • Fantail mullet Mugil gyrans
  • Hospe mullet Mugil hospes
  • Parassi mullet Mugil incilis
  • Liza Mugil liza
  • Mugil platanus
  • Mullet Mugil rammelsbergii
  • Liseta mullet Mugil setosus
  • So-iuy mullet Mugil soiuy
  • Mugil trichodon
• Genus Myxus
  • Freshwater mullet Myxus capensis
  • Sand grey mullet Myxus elongatus
  • Myxus multidens
  • Myxus petardi
• Genus Neomyxus
  • Neomyxus chaptalii
  • Acute-jawed mullet Neomyxus leuciscus
• Genus Oedalechilus
  • Boxlip mullet Oedalechilus labeo
  • Hornlip mullet Oedalechilus labiosus
• Genus Rhinomugil
  • Corsula Rhinomugil corsula
  • Shark mullet Rhinomugil nasutus
• Genus Sicamugil
  • Yellowtail mullet Sicamugil cascasia
  • Burmese mullet Sicamugil hamiltonii
• Genus Valaomugil
  • Bluetail mullet Valamugil buchanani
  • Longarm mullet Valamugil cunnesius
  • Kanda Valamugil engeli
  • Valamugil formosae
  • Silver mullet Valamugil georgii
  • Valamugil perusii
  • Robust mullet Valamugil robustus
  • Bluespot mullet Valamugil seheli
  • Speigler's mullet Valamugil speigleri
• Genus Xenomugil
  • Thoburn's mullet Xenomugil thoburni

• FishBase entry for the Mugilidae

The Striped or Black Mullet is a delicacy along the Northwest Florida and Alabama gulf coast. Many restaurants in those areas serve mullet as the mainstay of their menus. Fried mullet are the most popular. Smoked, baked, and canned mullet are also eaten. Mullet is usually fileted. The left over frames are often used to make excellent fish stock. The stock makes superb chowders, stews, and bouillabaisse.

Mullet does not keep well after it is caught. If kept on ice it may remain edible for approximately 24 hours. If kept much longer it begins to loose its freshness and becomes nearly inedible. The sooner it can be eaten after being caught, the better.

When shopping for mullet for consumption, choose only those fish with clear eyes. Cloudy eyes are indicators of loss of freshness.

• J.S. Nelson, Fishes of the World