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How does it look like?
The king mullet can measure up to 15 centimeters. Looking at its silhouette you can see a large head, an elongated and compressed body, two dorsal fins (one spiny and one soft), an anal fin and a rather divided caudal fin, all semi-transparent. On the head, the large black eyes stand out, with a strong contrast with the rest of the orange body. In addition, in the dark, you can see, in the eye, a pair of very characteristic white lines, as shown in the image. It also has a large mouth that opens upwards. If we look closely, we can see a small dark spot on the caudal peduncle, where the fin begins. Although its predominant coloration is orange, it may have some pinkish tones.
Where does it live?
When we dive in summer, we usually find it alone or in small groups, at depths up to 30 meters, between cavities, crevices or caves. In winter, on the other hand, they can reach a depth of 200 meters. Its distribution area includes the entire Mediterranean and the Eastern Atlantic, off the African coasts. It is usually found in warm, unpolluted areas.
How does it feed?
The red mullet is a nocturnal fish. In the darkness of the night it goes out to hunt crustaceans and other small fishes, as well as clutches from other organisms.
How does it reproduce?
Copulation occurs after a series of very unique and colorful reproductive behaviors during the months of June to September. The male, when the female has already laid the eggs, introduces them inside his mouth to defend them from possible predators and to oxygenate them. This clutch has adherent filaments that make it look like a ball. Until the new generation doesn't hatch, the male does not stop holding them.
Is a confusion possible?
Its orange color and large black eye with the two white lines make it an easy fish to recognize underwater. A flashlight can be of great help in the darkness of caves or crevices where we can find this fish.
Curiosities
· They are very territorial fishes, which consider a small crevice as their home their own, so they defend it fiercely.
· Precisely this characteristic make them easily approachable.
· They are animals that, during the day, always remain in the dark.
· Did you know that during the time that the male retains the more than 20,000 eggs in its mouth, about a week, it does not eat?
· This fish requires good water quality water. That's the reason it is not found in very polluted areas, for example, in urban areas.
Taxonomy
Phylum: Chordata, Class: Osteichthyes, Superorder: Acanthopterygii, Order: Perciformes, Suborder: Percoidei, Family: Apogonidae |
