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Brasilian Mullet

Chelon dumerili (Steindachner 1870)

Diagnostic Description

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Diagnosis: 8-9 anal soft rays; anal fin and lower lobe of caudal fin whitish or greyish (Ref. 57400). Body with ctenoid scales except for anterior predorsal scales which are cycloid and extend to anterior nostril or slightly beyond (Ref. 81659). Scales numerous (Ref. 57400), not large, 33-41 in a longitudinal series (excluding scales on caudal fin base), 11-14 scale rows between pelvic and first dorsal fin (Ref. 81659). 5-8 mucous canals on scales in front of 1st dorsal fin (only 1, less often 2 or 3, in other Liza species (Ref. 57400). Posterior end of maxilla sigmoid, curved down over premaxilla; serrate, anteroventral edge of lachrymal distinctly concave; pharyngobranchial organ with 1-2 valves, anteroventral valve a moderate size, semi-lunate flap, posterior valve usually vestigial, as a small nodule or, at most, a low papillate fold, and may be absent (Ref. 81659).Description: body rather elongate (Ref. 57400, 81659), rather slender, reaching its greatest depth at level of 1st dorsal-fin origin (Ref. 57400). Head large; interorbital space almost flat; no adipose eyelid (Ref. 57400). Snout more or less pointed (Ref. 81659). Upper lip thin, not ornamented (Ref. 57400). Upper lip with outer row of close-set teeth, with slightly flattened, blunt unicuspid tips (Ref. 81659). 1-3 inner rows of teeth may be present (Ref. 57400, 81659), usually one row, sometimes no inner rows visible (Ref. 81659). Inner rows well separated from outer row, and teeth may be bicuspid and usually smaller and more widely spaced than outer row teeth; lower lip usually without teeth, rarely, outer margin of lip with sparse, minute ciliiform teeth; angle of mouth at dentary symphysis 90° or more, but usually less obtuse than in L. grandisquamis and L. falcipinnis (Ref. 81659). Hind end of upper jaw reaching a vertical line passing between posterior nostril and anterior eye margin; maxillary partially visible below corner of mouth when closed (Ref. 57400). In specimens >30 mm SL, some scales may have several radial grooves: 1-14 grooves on predorsal scales, 1-6 on interdorsal scales, 1-4 on scales of dorsal and ventral parts of caudal peduncle, 1-5 on opercular and infraorbital scales, and 1-2 on some scales on ventral parts of body; scales on lateral parts of flanks usually with one groove (Ref. 81659). Origin of 1st dorsal fin equidistant from snout tip and caudal-fin base (Ref. 57400). Second dorsal fin with 9 segmented rays (Ref. 81659). Anal fin with 3 spines (Ref. 81659) and 9 (rarely 8) segmented rays (Ref. 57400) in adults (1st spine very short and usually hidden by overlying scales)(Ref. 81659). Anal fin usually with 2 spines and 10 segmented rays in juveniles
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Recorder
Cristina V. Garilao
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Migration

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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.
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Susan M. Luna
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Morphology

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Dorsal spines (total): 5; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8 - 9; Analspines: 3; Analsoft rays: 8 - 9
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Cristina V. Garilao
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Trophic Strategy

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Inhabit shallow coastal waters (Ref. 27121), including estuaries (Ref. 2683) and tidal rivers (Ref. 3573). Feed on plankton and detritus (Ref. 28587). The blunt and relatively small teeth are ideally suited to ingest relatively coarse sandy substrate (Ref. 74863). Changes in the feeding habits from planktonic organisms and migratory zooplankton to meiobenthos which takes place between 0.1 and 0.2 cm length, and a switch from meiobenthos to microbenthos between 0.15 and 0.25 cm length (Ref. 56101).
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Pascualita Sa-a
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Biology

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Inhabit shallow coastal waters (Ref. 27121), including estuaries (Ref. 2683, 57400, 81659), lagoons (Ref. 57400), tidal rivers (Ref. 3573), freshwater and supersaline environments (Ref. 81659). Feed on plankton and detritus (Ref. 28587). Oviparous, eggs are pelagic and non-adhesive (Ref. 205). Shows a remarkable adaptation to hyperhaline environments (up to 97‰ in the Sine Saloum in Senegal)(Ref. 57400). Specimens from tropical East Atlantic reaching maximum of 280 mm SL and common to 180 mm SL (Ref. 81659).
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Importance

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fisheries: commercial
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Grooved mullet

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The grooved mullet (Chelon dumerili) is a species of ray-finned fish, a grey mullet from the family Mugilidae. It is found in the coastal waters of the eastern Atlantic Ocean off the western coast of Africa, as far north as Mauritania, and into the western Indian Ocean.

Description

The grooved mullet has a total of five spines in its dorsal fins and eight or nine soft rays, the anal fin has three spines and eight or nine soft rays. The anal fin and the lower lobe of the caudal fin are coloured whitish or greyish. The body is coated in ctenoid scales apart from the scales in front of the anterior dorsal fin which are cycloid, extending to the front nostril or slightly beyond it. Its scales are small and numerous and there are 33–41 scales in a longitudinal series, not including those on the caudal peduncle, and 11–14 scale rows between pelvic and anterior dorsal fin.[3] It grows up to 40 cm (16 in) in length.[4]

Distribution

The grooved mullet is found on the Atlantic coast of Africa from Mauritania in the north to the mouth of the Cunene River in Namibia. An allopatric population is found in the south-western Indian Ocean from False Bay in the Western Cape to southern Mozambique.[5]

Habitat and ecology

The grooved mullet is found in brackish and marine waters in estuaries and coastal shallows. It is a very adaptable species and has been recorded in both freshwater and hypersaline environments.[1] Spawning occurs offshore and the fry move inshore while feeding on zooplankton. The adults sift food such as organic detritus, blue-green algae, diatoms, gastropods, and foraminifera from the substrate, usually coarse sand.[1]

Uses

The grooved mullet is fished for by commercial fisheries and mullets are used in aquaculture in Africa but it is not known if this involves this species. More research is needed to determine the conservation status of the grooved mullet[1] and of its taxonomy.[5]

Taxonomy and naming

The two populations of grooved mullet are allopatric, and genetic sampling showed that haplotypes from West Africa were very different from those sampled in South Africa and that the two populations should be treated as sister species.[6] The Atlantic species would retain the name Chelon dumerili as the type locality is Saint-Louis, Senegal while the name Chelon natalensis (Castelnau, 1861) or C. canaliculatus (J.L.B. Smith, 1935) have been suggested for the Indian Ocean taxon, although pending taxonomic revision this taxon has been designated as Chelon Species B.[5]

The specific name honours the French ichthyologist and herpetologist Auguste Duméril (1812–1870) of the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle who lent Franz Steindachner specimens of fishes collected in Senegal.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Camara, K.; Djiman, R.; Nunoo, F.; et al. (2015). "Chelon dumerili". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T183171A1731060. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T183171A1731060.en.
  2. ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Mugil dumerili". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  3. ^ a b Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2018). "Chelon dumerili" in FishBase. June 2018 version.
  4. ^ G. Bianch, ed. (1999). Field Guide to the Living Marine Resources of Namibia. Food and Agriculture Organization. p. 179. ISBN 978-9251043455.
  5. ^ a b c Jean-Dominique Durand & Alan K. Whitfield (2015). "Biogeography and Distribution of Mugilidae in the Western, Central and Southern Regions of Africa". In Donatella Crosetti & Stephen J. M. Blaber (eds.). Biology, Ecology and Culture of Grey Mullets (Mugilidae). CRC Press. p. 107. ISBN 978-1482252132.
  6. ^ Durand, J.-D.; Shen, K.-N.; Chen, W.-J.; Jamandre, B.-W.; Blel, H.; et al. (2012). "Systematics of the grey mullets (Teleostei: Mugiliformes: Mugilidae): molecular phylogenetic evidence challenges two centuries of morphology-based taxonomy". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 64 (1): 73–92. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2012.03.006. PMID 22445821.
  7. ^ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara (4 June 2018). "Mugiliformes". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 26 October 2018.
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Grooved mullet: Brief Summary

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The grooved mullet (Chelon dumerili) is a species of ray-finned fish, a grey mullet from the family Mugilidae. It is found in the coastal waters of the eastern Atlantic Ocean off the western coast of Africa, as far north as Mauritania, and into the western Indian Ocean.

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