Surmullet (Mullus surmuletus)

Scientific name: Mullus surmuletus Linnaeus, 1758

Surmullet (Mullus surmuletus)

The Surmullet (Mullus surmuletus) is a marine fish of the family Mullidae. Native range: Eastern Atlantic, Western Norway, English Channel (rare in North Sea) to Dakar, Senegal and the Canary Islands, including the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.

Biology

Occurs on broken and rough grounds but also found over sand and soft bottoms at depths less than 100 m. Depth range from 5-60 m and from 305-409 m in the eastern Ionian Sea. Feeds on benthic organisms such as shrimps and amphipods, polychaetes, mollusks, and benthic fishes. Spawns from May to July, eggs and larvae are pelagic. Marketed fresh and frozen for steaming, pan-frying, broiling and baking.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Mullus surmuletus
Family
Mullidae (Goatfishes)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
40.0
Common length
25.0
Depth range
5–409 m (16–1342 ft)
Environment
Marine; demersal; oceanodromous; depth range 5 - 409 m
Climate
Subtropical
Distribution
Eastern Atlantic: Western Norway, English Channel (rare in North Sea) to Dakar, Senegal and the Canary Islands, including the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.1-0.4; tm=2; tmax=10)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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