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Lebranche mullet (Mugil liza) — Mugilidae

Lebranche mullet

Mugil liza
Family: Mugilidae
DD · Data Deficient

The Lebranche mullet (Mugil liza) is a fish that lives in both fresh and salt water of the family Mugilidae that grows up to 80 cm.

Length
80 cm
Water
Euryhaline
Depth
10.0–? m
Diet
Omnivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The lebranche mullet is a large mullet from the western Atlantic, from Bermuda and Florida through the Caribbean to Argentina. The species grows to about 80 cm and has a streamlined, silvery body with a blue-green back. It forms large schools in coastal water, brackish estuaries, hypersaline lagoons and also enters fresh water; it migrates along the coast to spawn. As a detritivore it scrapes the upper bottom layer and filters algae and organic matter. It is an important food fish; the salted roe is considered a delicacy. Owing to insufficient data the IUCN lists the species as Data Deficient (DD).

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Lebranche mullet?

The Lebranche mullet has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Lebranche mullet live?

The Lebranche mullet lives in both fresh and salt water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Lebranche mullet get?

The Lebranche mullet grows to a maximum of about 80 cm. On average the species is around 40 cm.

Is the Lebranche mullet dangerous to humans?

No, the Lebranche mullet is harmless to humans.

Is the Lebranche mullet edible?

Yes, the Lebranche mullet is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Lebranche-harder verified
English name
Lebranche mullet verified
Scientific name
Mugil liza
Family
Mugilidae
Other names
Fantail mullet; Lebranche mullet; Liza verified

Appearance

Size class
Large verified
Max length (cm)
80.0 verified
Average length (cm)
40.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey sourced
Pattern
Plain sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Terminal sourced
Lips
Thin sourced
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
Two separate sourced
Dorsal spines
Yes sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Euryhaline sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
10.0 verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Omnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Schooling sourced
Territorial
No sourced
Activity
Diurnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten sourced
Fishing method
Kustvissen met netten of werphengel sourced
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Mugil

More from the family Mugilidae

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