White Mullet
(Mugil curema)
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Animal Type
Fish
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Exhibits
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Range
Atlantic Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Overview
White mullet are silvery coastal fish commonly found in tropical and subtropical latitudes in the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean. They have broad, flat heads, two distinct dorsal fins, and pectoral fins that sit very high on their bodies. They are covered in large scales that range in coloration from bluish-grey or olive-green along their backs to silver and white along their sides and bellies. Though they have two shallow grooves running the length of their bodies, they lack a full lateral line (the sensory system that senses movement or pressure changes in the water).
Their teeth are quite short, and they rely more on gill rakers (bony protrusions that protect sensitive gill tissue) to filter edible items from the mud and sand they sift through. Their stomachs are very muscular and grind up food, much like a chicken's gizzard does.
National Aquarium guests should look for white mullets in the Assateague Beach section of Maryland: Mountains to the Sea. This habitat replicates the shallow near-shore waters the species use as a nursery ground. Coastal waters are rich in nutrients flowing from the shore, which spurs algae and plankton growth—the perfect diet for small fish!
Quick Facts
Learn more about white mullets! Did you know they have eyelids of translucent connective tissue? Though the exact purpose isn't known, these eyelids may help protect their eyes or enhance their vision in some way.
The white mullet lives in coastal marine waters of the Atlantic Ocean and eastern Pacific Ocean. Brackish estuaries along the coastlines of Africa, Europe, and North and South America often serve as nursery habitats for larvae and juveniles.
Adult white mullet consume the algae, crustaceans, detritus and plankton they find in muddy sediments in coastal areas and estuaries.
White mullet are typically 1 to 1.5 feet in length.
The white mullet population is considered stable overall, though pollution and habitat loss in estuaries threaten the species at local levels.
The white mullet's smaller size makes it an ideal baitfish for recreational and commercial fisheries. In addition to humans, larger predatory fish, toothed whales and seabirds prey on them.
Explore Exhibit Residents
Learn more about the animals that share an exhibit with this one.
Greenside Darter (Etheostoma blennioides)
Greenside darters can live for up to five years.
Black Drum (Pogonias cromis)
Black drums are known for their percussive sounds.
Atlantic Spadefish (Chaetodipterus faber)
This species is one of 20 types of spadefish worldwide.
Striped Blenny (Chasmodes bosquianus)
Striped blennies are carnivorous little fish.
Mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus)
These small fish are abundant in salt marshes around the Chesapeake Bay.