1/7/2024 0 Comments Boy catches flesh water eelThey come and go with the tide to feed over sand and mud-flats particularly in large harbours like Manukau, Waitemata, Kaipara and Raglan.ĭavid H Graham in his time at the Portobello Marine Research Station never encountered the species in Otago waters.Įnters harbours, river mouths and estuarine lagoons. Numerous around the North Island north of East Cape where grey mullet can be plentiful. This species can be found all around the world in warm tropical and sub-tropical coastal waters in temperatures between 8-24 ☌. Grey mullet prefers the warmer waters of New Zealand’s North Island and are only occasionally found in the upper South Island in Tasman Bay. In Australia, ocean-caught mullet sell for a higher price than river-caught fish. It can be made milder by removing the skin, the fat beneath the skin and the gut lining. Sometimes muddy tasting. The flavour is strong. The row is also smoked and sold commercially in New Zealand where it is considered by many to be a delicacy. This fish has a high oil content and can be muddy tasting. Their average lifespan is probably about five years, though at least one specimen is reported to have lived for 13 years overseas. Juveniles are relatively slow-growing not reaching sexual maturity until the end of their third year and a length of 30cm. Oversea studies note that sometimes this species spawns close to shore in bays and off beaches. At approximately 20 millimetres in length, the lava migrates to brackish water estuaries and harbours where they spend the remainder of their first year. They spawn in offshore surface waters in the autumn. The eggs hatch 48 hours after fertilization. Grey mullet is catadromous meaning they spawn in saltwater but spend most of their lives in freshwater. Females lay between 600,000 and 1.5 million eggs depending on the length of the adult fish. Their stomachs were crammed to capacity with a swimming shrimp. Unusually, there was no mud or grit present in their stomachs. Graham reported in A Treasury of New Zealand Fishes that on one occasion grey mullet came into Ohiwa Harbour near Whakatane and were netted soon afterwards. Their feeding churns up the bottom.ĭavid H. As they do so they also swallow quite a lot of sand and mud. Grey mullet feed by sucking in the rich algal and organic matter, including worms and crustaceans, found on the seafloor. They are caught commercially between November and March but are available in northern New Zealand all year. There is a transparent gelatinous eyelid that covers the eye. The iris, though yellow, is nowhere near as bright as that of the yellow-eyed mullet. Usually from 30-40 cm in length and weighing less than one kilo but can reach 60cm (2 feet) and weigh up to 5 kg (11 pounds). In Australia, they have been known to reach at least 80cm (2 feet and 6 inches) and weigh 8kg (17.6 pounds).ĭark blueish to olive-green above with silver sides tending white underneath. It is heavier, wider, flatter across the head, and grows to a larger size than the yellow-eyed mullet. The grey mullet has a rounded body shape. Grey mullet has a well-deserved reputation of being difficult to catch on baited hooks. Like flounders, most grey mullet are caught in New Zealand with set nets over shallow tidal flats. At times the schools are huge numbering hundreds or even thousands of fish. They are also found in fast swimming schools further offshore. Grey mullet is a pelagic schooling fish found close to shore where they feed in estuaries, mangrove swamps, rivers and harbours. Grey Mullet – Mugil cephalus – The Maori name is Kanae – They are also called sea mullet – How to catch grey mullet By Allan Burgess
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