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In
the western Atlantic, the Striped Mullet can be found from
Nova Scotia to Tampico, Mexico, but it is absent in the
Bahamas. They are also prevalent in the Caribbean and the
West Indies.
They
are found in the Mediterranean See and the Black Sea, the
Islands of Madeira and the Azores. The can be found in the
Western Pacific along the African coast to Ghana and Togo in
the eastern pacific. The west coast of the U.S. can fine the
mullet in the San Francisco Bay to Chile and then Galapagos.
And lastly, they can be found in the southwestern waters of
the Indian Ocean.
Mullet are very tolerant to low salinity conditions. They do
well in freshwater and migrate in large schools to offshore
waters to spawn. Small fish head inshore at about 1 inch
long and move into the tidal creeks for protection. They
feed on algae detritus and other tiny life forms along with
organic-rich sediments. The mullet are bluish-gray or green
on top and shading to silver on the sides. They have long
black stripes and a white belly. They have a small mouth and
a flat blunt nose.
They
grow to about 6 inches to 7¼ inches, fork length, in one
year and can live to 9 to 13 years of age. Females mature at
2 to 3 years of age at a fork length of 11½ inches. Spawning
occurs over the continental shelf and slope in depths of
5,400 feet. |
