Mugilidae, Jarocki, 1822

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 801-804

Family Mugilidae

Mullets

A family of fishes primarily found in coastal waters, with approximately 25 genera and 75 species. They occur globally in various marine habitats, including temperate, subtropical, and tropical regions. Mullets are distinguished by the presence of two separate dorsal fins, a small triangular mouth, and the absence of a lateral line on the flanks. Most species exhibit an unusually muscular stomach and a complex pharynx, which are believed to be an adaptation to grazing on plants, algae, and detritus. Some species inhabit freshwater habitats, while most are marine coastal species that occasionally enter lagoons, estuaries, or the lower reaches of rivers. They can be distinguished from superficially similar Atherinidae by several characteristics, including a dorso-ventrally flattened head (vs. laterally compressed), scales on the dorsal surface of the head (vs. absence of scales), and 11–14½ anal rays (vs. 10–20½). The taxonomy and nomenclature of the Mugilidae are not yet fully resolved, and several name changes have occurred recently. In the context of our region, the most significant alteration is the synonymisation of Liza with Chelon and the segregation of Planiliza from Liza .

Mullets are pelagic fishes that live in schools and typically inhabit waters less than 200 m deep, with a preference for muddy bottoms. They spawn at sea. Eggs and early larvae are pelagic, while small juveniles move toward the shoreline and enter estuaries and lagoons, where they feed on zooplankton. Larger individuals return to the sea, where they feed on algae and vegetal detritus, often taking

An encounter with an adult Chelon labrosus ; Italy. © E. Motti.

a significant amount of sediment with them, which they filter through their branchial apparatus. All species exhibit a similar morphology, with a silvery appearance that renders them challenging to distinguish. Nine species have been documented from freshwaters in West Asia, with five representing non-native populations at least in part of their range. The sole true freshwater species is Planiliza abu , which also spawns in freshwater habitats. Mugil cephalus , Chelon auratus , and C. ramada frequently enter freshwaters in lower parts of rivers in the Black Sea and Mediterranean basins to forage, as do C. auratus and C. saliens that are also introduced to the Caspian Sea. East Asian Planiliza haematocheilus is rapidly expanding its range in the Black and Aegean Seas.

Ellochelon vaigiensis and Planiliza carinata are present in our region, although they have not yet been recorded from freshwater habitats in West Asia. Both species are included in the keys to allow their identification. Ellochelon vaigiensis is widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific region, occurring in the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, and along the entire coast of Arabia. Planiliza carinata is found in the Red Sea and is invasive in the eastern Mediterranean, where it is recorded from Egypt (west to the Nile delta), Israel, Lebanon, and Türkiye. Identification literature for marine fish should be consulted to identify fish not found in pure freshwaters.

Further reading. Bograd 1961 (movements in freshwater); Thomson 1997 (systematics); Durand et al. 2012 (phylogeny, generic concept).

Open Access. © 2025 JÖrg Freyhof, Baran Yoğurtçuoğlu, Arash Jouladeh-Roudbar and Cüneyt Kaya, published by De Gruyter. the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111677811-042

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Keys to species of Mugilidae potentially entering freshwaters in West Asia

Persian Gulf basin and seas around Arabian Peninsula

1a - Pectoral dark-grey or black. ……………… Ellochelon vaigiensis

1b - Pectoral hyaline. ………………2

2a - Individuals larger than 70 mm SL with adipose tissue covering most of eye ( Fig. 66), reaching or almost reaching pupil. ………………3

2b - Individuals larger than 70 mm SL without an adipose tissue rim around eye ( Fig. 66). ………………5

3a - Anterior margin of preorbital bone straight, tip pointed; back rounded, not keeled in front of first dorsal. ……………… Mugil cephalus

3b - Anterior margin of preorbital bone strongly concave, tip blunt; back in front of first dorsal keeled by thickened and ridged scales. ………………4

4a - Total gill rakers 69–82 in individuals between 67 and 96 mm SL, 83–93 in individuals between 106 and 124 mm SL; first pterygiophore of first dorsal ray set between 6th and 7th vertebrae. ……………… Planiliza carinata

4b - Total gill rakers 79–96 in individuals between 66 and 91 mm SL, 94–109 in individuals between 110 and 139 mm SL; first pterygiophore of first dorsal ray set between 7th and 8th vertebrae. ……………… Planiliza klunzingeri

5a - 27–32 total scales along lateral midline; preorbital bone does not fill space between lip and eye. ……………… Planiliza subviridis

5b - 40–50 total scales along lateral midline; preorbital bone fills space between lip and eye. ………………6

6a - Pectoral long, reaching almost to vertical of first dorsal origin; no golden blotch on opercle; two dark-grey stripes on flank. ……………… Planiliza abu

6b - Pectoral short, not reaching close to vertical of first dorsal origin; usually a golden or orange blotch on opercle; no stripes on flank. ……………… Chelon auratus

Mediterranean, Caspian, and Black Seas

1a - Lower 1 ⁄ 4 – 1 ⁄ 3 of upper lip with 2–3 rows of papillae with horny ridges in individuals larger than 100 mm SL ( Fig. 69). ……………… Chelon labrosus

1b - Upper lip smooth. ………………2

2a - Individuals larger than 70 mm SL with adipose tissue covering most of eye, reaching or almost reaching pupil. ………………3

2b - Individuals larger than 70 mm SL without adipose tissue rim around eye. ………………4

3a - Anterior margin of preorbital bone straight, tip pointed; back rounded, not keeled in front of first dorsal. ……………… Mugil cephalus 3b - Anterior margin of preorbital bone strongly concave, tip blunt; back in front of first dorsal keeled by thickened and ridged scales. ……………… Planiliza carinata 4a - Pectoral long, reaching almost to vertical of first dorsal origin; two dark-grey stripes on flank (Orontes, Ceyhan, Seyhan drainages only). ……………… Planiliza abu 4b - Pectoral short, not reaching close to vertical of first dorsal origin; flank plain grey silvery without stripes (coastal species). ………………5 5a - Posterior extremity of upper jaw reaching beyond anterior rim of eye. ……………… Planiliza haematocheilus 5b - Posterior extremity of upper jaw not reaching anterior rim of eye. ………………6 6a - Predorsal scales with 2–5 longitudinal grooves (Fig. 67); 48–49 scales in lateral series (not including scales on caudal base). ……………… Chelon saliens 6b - Predorsal scales with a single or no longitudinal groove (Fig. 67); 40–46 scales in lateral series (not including scales on caudal base). ………………7 7a - 20 circumpeduncular scale rows; when folded forward, pectoral reaching eye; posterior angle of preorbital bone pointed (Fig. 68); no black spot at pectoral base. ……………… Chelon auratus 7b - 24 circumpeduncular scale rows; when folded forward, pectoral not reaching eye; posterior angle of preorbital bone rounded; a black spot at inner pectoral base. ……………… Chelon ramada

Chelon auratus , Mediterranean Sea, Spain; ~ 400 mm SL.© shutterstock_2366550807 Fernando M. Elkspera.