Description
The body is elongated and compressed laterally, up to 30 cm long, usually 10-20 cm. Dorsal and anal fins are short, caudal-forked. The head is large with a steeply descending, almost vertical snout and high-set eyes. The small mouth, which fits in the lower part of the head, is equipped with small teeth-bristles, two long antennae hang from the chin. The body is irregularly colored red, the abdomen is silvery, light yellow fins.
Biology
The common mullet lives near the seashores, usually at shallow depths — 15-30 meters, although it also comes across at a depth of 100-300 meters. Mullets stay in flocks at the bottom and never rise into the water column. They prefer soft muddy or sandy soil, but they are also found on the shell rock and rocky bottom. Red mullets are helped to find food by their long antennae: the fish slowly moves at the very bottom and carefully "feels" its surface with its antennae in search of small bottom animals. It feeds on benthic invertebrates.
Puberty is reached in the second or third year of life. Spawning — from May to August at depths from 10 to 55 meters near the muddy or sandy bottom. Each female sweeps out several portions of caviar, the total fertility for the season ranges from 3.6 to 88 thousand eggs. The swept and fertilized eggs rise into the upper layers of the water and after 3.5—2.5 days, depending on the temperature, the larvae come out of it. Juveniles feed on small animal organisms of the water column and are masked from predators by silvery, bluish-green color. Approximately 1.5—2 months after hatching, the fry approach the shores and, having reached a length of 4-6 centimeters, sink to the bottom and acquire the typical appearance and color of adult fish.
Adult mullets approach the shores in spring and stay here until winter, sometimes they come across in the estuaries of rivers. In winter, fish migrate to great depths. Life expectancy is 10-12 years, in the first summer of their life they can reach a length of 4 to 12 cm, depending on the timing of spawning.
Area
There are two subspecies:
Mullus barbatus barbatus (1728)
Mullus barbatus ponticus (1927)
Mullet is distributed along the eastern coast of the Atlantic (from Great Britain and, partly, Scandinavia to Dakar), near the Canary and Azores Islands, in the Mediterranean, Black and Azov Seas (Mullus barbatus ponticus lives in the latter two).
Meaning
To taste, the mullet is a delicate and fish, the meat is distinguished by exceptional taste qualities. It is also valued for its special fat – it is very tender, peculiar in taste and has a wonderful aroma. It was very popular in ancient Rome. According to legend, large sultanas were paid with an equal amount of silver by weight.
