Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; freshwater; brackish; pelagic-neritic; catadromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 10 - 20 m (Ref. 7399). Temperate; 64°N - 20°N, 26°W - 42°E
Eastern Atlantic: British Isles, North Sea, Norwegian Sea, Barents Sea, Bay of Biscay, Western Africa and offshore islands including the Canaries, Azores and Madeira; the Mediterranean and Black Sea. Introduced to the Caspian Sea.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm 34.0 range ? - ? cm
Max length : 61.0 cm FL male/unsexed; (Ref. 117745); common length : 30.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 7399); max. published weight: 2.5 kg (Ref. 117745)
Adults are neritic usually in schools, entering lagoons and lower estuaries (Ref. 7399); rarely entering freshwater (Ref. 3573, 59043). Juveniles move to coastal lagoons and estuaries in winter and especially in spring (Ref. 59043). They feed on small benthic organisms, detritus, and occasionally on insects and plankton (Ref. 2804). Juveniles feed only on zooplankton (Ref. 59043). Reproduction takes place in the sea, from July to November. Oviparous, eggs are pelagic and non-adhesive (Ref. 205). Minimum size allowed for fishing is 20 cm. The quality of the flesh is variable (Ref. 30578).
Juveniles move to coastal lagoons and estuaries in winter and especially in spring (Ref. 59043).
Thomson, J.M., 1986. Mugilidae. p. 344-349. In J. Daget, J.-P. Gosse and D.F.E. Thys van den Audenaerde (eds.) Check-list of the freshwater fishes of Africa (CLOFFA). ISNB, Brussels, MRAC; Tervuren; and ORSTOM, Paris. Vol. 2. (Ref. 3573)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; aquaculture: commercial
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