White Mullet
Lisa, Lisa Blanco
(Mugil curema)

White Mullet, Mugil curema: The White Mullet has an elongated body with a round head that is slightly wider than it is deep, with a small mouth and blunt nose. The White Mullet has thin lips with a bump on the tip of the lower lip and prominent adipose eyelids that have only a small slit over the pupil. The back and upper sides are dark gray and the lower sides and belly are silver. The caudal fin is deeply forked and solid in color but with a black margin on occasion.

The White Mullet has short pectoral fins that do not reach the origin of the first dorsal fin. The origin of the second dorsal fin is posterior to the origin of the anal fin. There is a dark blotch at the base of the pectoral fin and the anal, caudal, dorsal, pectoral, and pelvic fins are yellowish. The White Mullet has 9 anal rays and the scales extend into the anal and second dorsal fins.

The White Mullet is easily confused with the Striped Mullet, Mugil cephalus (darker coloration, 8 anal rays, anal and second dorsal fin without scales, no black blotch at the base of the pectoral fin), and the Liseta Mullet, Mugil setosus (blunt head profile, deeply concave anal and second dorsal fin, longer rounded pectoral fins).

The White Mullet is one of the more abundant members of the Mugiladae Family. Globally there are a total of 75 species of Mugiladae of which 7 are found in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. They are characterized by having 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 White Mullet is known for leaping out of the water frequently, which is believed to generate an oxygen source. It is normally 1 to 3 pounds in weight, but can grow very large with the current world record being 47 inches and 18 pounds. The White Mullet has a life span of 4 to 16 years and requires 3 years to reach maturity. It is viewed by some as an excellent food fish and is sold commercially fresh, frozen, dried and salted; the roe is sold fresh or frozen.

The White Mullet is caught primarily by cast net and to a limited extent by snagging with heavily weighted large treble hooks. As a bait, it is normally fished "fly-lined" with a 7/0 hook attached to 60-pound test with very slow trolling, targeting Dorado, Grouper, Roosterfish, and Snappers. The White Mullet is also fished "down deep" with a 7/0 hook attached to 100-pound test and an 8-ounce torpedo sinker, targeting large Grouper and large Snappers. It can also be used effectively when cut up as bait or chum.

Found in shallow coastal waters, and sometimes in adjacent fresh water, the White Mullet travels in enormous schools and is found near the surface over sandy bottoms of all coastal tropical waters. It feeds primarily on algae, zooplankton, and dead plant matter which makes it an important ecological waste-processing machine. The White Mullet is preyed on by birds, fish, and various marine mammals. Each female produces from 500,000 to 2 million eggs annually.

Distribution in Mexico fishing areas

In Mexican fishing waters The White Mullet is absent along the Pacific side of Baja California, but is present throughout the Sea of Cortez, along the coast of the mainland, and around the southern oceanic islands.

White Mullet Photo 1

White Mullet, Mugil curema: A major commercial bait caught while fishing in the surf zone, La Playita, San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico, during the months of June, July, August, September, and October, in 5 to 10-foot deep water, utilizing a net cast by panguero bait salesmen. Readily survives in a panga bait tank. Description and photo courtesy John Snow.

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