Biology:Mullus
Mullus is a subtropical marine genus of ray-finned fish of the family Mullidae (goatfish) and includes the red mullets, occurring mainly in the southwest Atlantic near the South American coast and in the Eastern Atlantic including the Mediterranean and the Black Sea.[1] These fish are benthic and can be found resting and feeding over soft substrates.
Distribution
Members of the genus Mullus can be found in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Mediterranean Sea. They are often found over soft substrates, such as sand, in which they search for prey using sensitive whiskers.
Species
There are currently four recognized species in this genus:[2]
| Species | Common name | Image |
|---|---|---|
| Mullus argentinae
Hubbs & Marini, 1933 |
Argentine goatfish | frameless |
| Mullus auratus
Jordan & Gilbert, 1882 |
Red goatfish | frameless |
| Mullus barbatus
Linnaeus, 1758 |
Red mullet | frameless |
| Mullus surmuletus
Linnaeus, 1758 |
Surmullet | frameless |
The following fossil species are known:
- †Mullus bifurcatus Strashimirov, 1972 [otolith] - early-mid Miocene of Bulgaria & Kazakhstan[3][4]
- †Mullus elongatus Steurbart, 1984 [otolith] - Early Miocene of France & Greece[5]
- †Mullus moldavicus Switchenska, 1959 - late middle Miocene of Moldova[6]
An indeterminate Mullus is also known from fossil skeletons from the middle Miocene of the North Caucasus, Russia.[7]
Commercial Significance
The most commercially important of these species is the Red Mullet (M. barbatus) which is common in Mediterranean cuisine and often fished for using seine nets, a practice thought to be damaging as it can remove large numbers of spawning fish.
References
- ↑ Johnson, G.D.; Gill, A.C. (1998). Paxton, J.R.. ed. Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 186. ISBN 0-12-547665-5.
- ↑ Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2019). Species of Mullus in FishBase. December 2019 version.
- ↑ Schwarzhans, Werner; Carnevale, Giorgio; Bratishko, Andriy; Japundžić, Sanja; Bradić, Katarina (2017-03-01). "Otoliths in situ from Sarmatian (Middle Miocene) fishes of the Paratethys. Part II: Gadidae and Lotidae" (in en). Swiss Journal of Palaeontology 136 (1): 19–43. doi:10.1007/s13358-016-0114-5. ISSN 1664-2384. Bibcode: 2017SwJP..136...19S. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13358-016-0114-5.
- ↑ Bratishko, Andriy; Schwarzhans, Werner; Reichenbacher, Bettina; Vernyhorova, Yuliia; Ćorić, Stjepan (2015-12-01). "Fish otoliths from the Konkian (Miocene, early Serravallian) of Mangyshlak (Kazakhstan): testimony to an early endemic evolution in the Eastern Paratethys" (in en). Paläontologische Zeitschrift 89 (4): 839–889. doi:10.1007/s12542-015-0274-4. ISSN 1867-6812. Bibcode: 2015PalZ...89..839B. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-015-0274-4.
- ↑ Agiadi, Konstantina; Koskeridou, Efterpi; Thivaiou, Danae (2021-07-26). "At the crossroads: early Miocene marine fishes of the proto-Mediterranean Sea" (in English). Fossil Record 24 (2): 233–246. doi:10.5194/fr-24-233-2021. ISSN 2193-0066. Bibcode: 2021FossR..24..233A. https://fr.copernicus.org/articles/24/233/2021/.
- ↑ Bannikov, A. F. (2009-08-01). "On early Sarmatian fishes from the Eastern Paratethys" (in en). Paleontological Journal 43 (5): 569–573. doi:10.1134/S003103010905013X. ISSN 1555-6174. Bibcode: 2009PalJ...43..569B. https://doi.org/10.1134/S003103010905013X.
- ↑ Carnevale, Giorgio; Bannikov, Alexandre F.; Landini, Walter; Sorbini, Chiara (2006). "Volhynian (early Sarmatian sensu lato) fishes from Tsurevsky, North Caucasus, Russia" (in en). Journal of Paleontology 80 (4): 684–699. doi:10.1666/0022-3360(2006)80[684:VESSLF2.0.CO;2]. ISSN 0022-3360. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-paleontology/article/abs/volhynian-early-sarmatian-sensu-lato-fishes-from-tsurevsky-north-caucasus-russia/F2AD37CD362FD88187F136D8C51CA470.
External links
Wikidata ☰ Q1289177 entry
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