Long Finned Mullet

Color greenish-grey dorsally, sides silvery. Second dorsal and anal fin with black margins (Ref. 9812). Posterior tip of upper jaw hidden when mouth closed. Pectoral fins 86-97% of head length, reaching below origin of first dorsal fin with axillary scale nearly half the length of fin. 37-43 scales in lateral series, scales with membranous digitated hind margin.

Catadromous. Migrating from freshwater to the sea to spawn, e.g., European eels. Subdivision of diadromous. Migrations should be cyclical and predictable and cover more than 100 km.

Dorsal spines (total): 4 - 5; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8; Analspines: 2 - 3; Analsoft rays: 9

Occur in shallow coastal waters, including estuaries and backwaters, frequently enters freshwater. Form larger aggregations during spawning which takes place at sea. Young individuals enter tidal rivers. Feed on organic matter contained in sand and mud (Ref. 30573); also microalgae and detritus (Ref. 11889). Gill-raker filaments were found in the stomach captured using gill net. Mullets struggle to be free of the constricting meshes, food is often regurgitated at an early stage, subsequent gasping of oxygen would then easily cause gill-rakers, broken loose in the struggle, to be swalowed (Ref. 74739).

Occur in shallow coastal waters, including estuaries and backwaters, frequently enters freshwater. Form larger aggregations during spawning which takes place at sea. Young individuals enter tidal rivers. Feed on organic matter contained in sand and mud (Ref. 30573). Oviparous, eggs are pelagic and non-adhesive (Ref. 205). Marketed fresh and salted. Decays rapidly, but well liked when fresh.

fisheries: commercial; bait: usually

分布於印度-太平洋區水域，由南非至所羅門群島，北至日本南部及馬歇爾群島，南至澳洲及東加等。臺灣四周海域除東部外均有。

經濟性魚種，主要為沿岸流刺網或待袋網等法捕獲，但產量不多，且因本種魚體型較小，又沒有烏魚有飽滿的卵，故經濟價值不像烏魚來的高，魚肉適合煮湯或紅燒皆不錯。

體延長呈紡綞形，前部圓形而後部側扁，背無隆脊。頭短，圓筒形。吻短；唇薄，下唇有一高聳的小丘且具有長長的、纖毛的、有間隔的唇齒，上唇則有短且分散的唇齒。眼圓，前側位；脂眼瞼不發達，僅及眼眶緣；前眼眶骨寬廣，佔滿唇和眼之間的空間，前緣有缺刻但隨著成長而變為平直。口小，前位；上頜骨末端遠於口角後緣，尖刀狀，不特別寬大，末端微彎曲向下；舌骨、鋤骨和翼骨上長牙齒，骨則無。鼻孔每側各一對。在稚魚期為圓鱗，隨著成長而變為膜性櫛鱗；頭部及體側的側線發達；側線數目11-12條；側線鱗37-43(通常為38-39)；胸鰭末端前之側線鱗12-13；第二背鰭起點垂直線前之側線鱗23-26；環繞尾柄上之側線鱗17-18(少數為15-16)。鰓耙繁密細長，第一鰓弓下枝鰓耙62-75。背鰭兩個，第一背鰭硬棘IV，第二背鰭鰭條I,8；胸鰭上側位，具14-16鰭條，基部上端具黑點，腋鱗發達；腹鰭腹位，具鰭條I,5，腋鱗發達；臀鰭具鰭條III,9；尾鰭分叉；幽門垂數5-7條；具沙囊胃。新鮮標本的體背灰綠色，體側銀白色，腹部漸次轉為白色。背鰭、臀鰭及尾鰭淡色而具暗緣；胸鰭淡色，胸鰭基部無色，但在基部的上端有一黑藍色的斑點。與同屬莫鯔極為相似，常互相混淆而被誤鑑。長鰭凡鯔(/Valamugil cunnesius/)為其同種異名。凡鯔屬(/Valamugil/)改為莫鯔(/Moolgarda/)的理由為：/Moolgarda/ Whitley, 1945和/Valamugil/ Smith, 1948目前被認為是同屬異名。/Moolgarda/發表的年代比/Valamugil/早，但是它的Holotype不見了，而Paratype又混有其它不同的種類，包括/Chelon subviridis/等，因而Thomson(1997) 認為 /Moolgarda/ 是 nomen dubium "doubtful name"，所以早期都用/Valamugil/作為屬名，但Senou(2002)認為Whitley在1945年所發表的文獻中，對於新屬/Moolgarda/的描述已經可以清楚確認type species為/Moolgarda seheli/，因此認為在動物命名規範中的優先權必須遵守，所以應該要用先發表的/Moolgarda/。就是因為有這些論點爭議存在，有人認為Thomson 是對的，也有人認為Senou是對的。目前鯔科研究的學者多半傾向Senou的觀點是對的，應該都要將/Valamugil/改成/Moolgarda/(沈康寧 2013/01) ，本網站也依此論點而修正。

主要棲息於沿岸砂泥底質地形的海域，而河口區或紅樹林等半淡鹹水海域亦常見其蹤跡，亦常侵入河川下游。以底泥中有機碎屑或水層中的浮游生物為食，群棲性，常成群洄游，幼魚在受到驚嚇時，會有躍離水面的動作。