Striped Mullet (Mugil cephalus)

The Striped Mullet or Mugil cephalus is a fish from the Mugilidae family which consists of about 70 different species.  Striped Mullet fish are bluish gray or green along the back with silver on the sides and a white underbelly.  They have a series of black horizontal bars that run down their bodies with a small mouth and blunt nose.

Also known as the Black Mullet, Sea Mullet and Fatback, this fish can grow to about 3' in length and and weigh up to 12lbs.  These fish can survive in both freshwater and saltwater and are found in the Pacific Ocean and many warm seas throughout the world.

Striped Mullet are schooling fish that are often seen leaping out of the water.  These fish will ingest mud from the bottom and work it through their gill rakers and teeth, filtering out the plant and animal material and spitting out the rest.  They are said to have gizzard-like stomachs for grinding food up.  You can check out a large group of Striped Mullet in the video below.      

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