Liseta Mullet
Mullet Leséte, Lisa
(Mugil setosus)

Liseta Mullet, Mugil setosus: The Liseta Mullet is grey above and silver below, with pale or dusky anal, caudal, dorsal, pectoral and pelvic fins. The pectoral fins are rounded. The deeply forked caudal fin has a black margin. The Liseta Mullet has an obvious series of stripes along the sides.

It has a compressed body with a large rounded head that is slightly deeper than it is wide, a small oblique mouth, and blunt nose. The space between the eyes is convex, and the eye is covered by a large adipose eyelid. The first dorsal fin originates closer to the tail than to the snout, and the second dorsal fin originates behind the anal fin origin. The anal fin and second dorsal fins are strongly concave and completely scaled.

This fish species is easy to identify due to the stripes along the sides and its elongated head, which is approximately twice the length of the heads of other common mullets (the Striped Mullet, Mugil cephalus, and the White Mullet, Mugil curema).

The Liseta Mullet is a very rare member of the Mugiladae Family. Globally there are 75 species of Mugiladae of which 7 are found in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. They are characterized by their elongated silvery grey bodies that have two widely spaced dorsal fins, weakly forked caudal fins, and no lateral lines. They have well developed fatty eyelids, front and rear nostrils that are widely separated, thin lips with a knob at the bottom of the lower lip, and anal fins with 3 spines and 8 or 9 fin rays.

The Liseta Mullet is a rare species and thus not well known or studied. It is smaller than other mullets, reaching a maximum length of 12 inches. The Liseta Mullet is found in shallow coastal waters over rocky structures.

Distribution in Mexico fishing areas

In Mexican fishing waters it is found only around the extreme tip of Baja California, along the coast of the mainland south of Acapulco, and around the Revillagigedos Islands.

Liseta Mullet fish picture

Liseta Mullet: A rare collection from the surf zone, La Playita, San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico, made in June, 2005, in 5 to 10 foot-deep water during fishing with a net cast by panguero bait salesmen. Description and photo courtesy John Snow.

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