Red mullet
Otolith description
The general shape of the otolith is ovally rounded. The sulcus runs over almost the total length of the otolith and is strongly curved and pointing down at the posterior where it widens considerably. The sulcus is open at the ostium. Ostium and cauda are separated by a narrowing of the sulcus. The ostium is slightly wider but shorter than the cauda. The ostium is indented and runs partly over the rostrum and partly over the antirostrum. The surface of the inside and outside are slightly irregular. The margins are also irregular. The ventral and dorsal margin are rounded, but the dorsal margin is stronger curved than the ventral. The posterior margin is rounded. The rostrum is well-developed and rounded. The antirostrum is also well-developed, but smaller than the rostrum and pointed. The inside is convex and the outside concave. The otolith is thin. Otoliths of red mullet do not exceed 6 mm in length.
Otoliths of red mullet may be confused with other species with a cauda that curves down, such as bass Dicentrarchus labrax and scad Trachurus trachurus. These have otoliths that are much more robust, however, and only red mullet has such a clear widening of the sulcus at the posterior.
When eroded the sulcus becomes indistinct and the margins are smoothed.
Otoliths of juvenile scad already have a strongly curved sulcus and general shape of larger otoliths. Only the rostrum is less pronounced in small otoliths.
Fish length and distribution
Red mullet can grow up to 40 cm. Red mullet is a bottom-living fish (MULLSURM.TIF) found in waters up to 100m in depth. It is found in small schools on sandy or muddy grounds. Red mullet migrates into the English Channel and Southern North Sea in spring and leaves again in autumn. Spawning takes place from May and July in the Channel (Wheeler, 1978, Nijssen and De Groot, 1987, Witte et al., 1991, Knijn et al., 1993, Muus et al., 1999).
Red mullet is not very common and found in the Eastern Atlantic and Southern North Sea, in the latter particularly in warm summers.
Sample origin
North Sea.