WHAT IS A MULLET?

This family of fish is found all over the world, but prefers warmer waters.  They are the garbage men of their neighborhoods feeding on dead organic material and zoo plankton.  Because of this they’ve developed especially muscular stomachs similar to a chicken’s gizzard.  Mullets tend to prefer shallow shorelines where they can stir up the sand for food.  But adults can be found in both fresh and saltwater, and in the Fall will migrate from coastal to deeper ocean waters.  They’re an abundant food source for both humans and as a foundation in the ecological food chain.

WHERE DO MULLETS COME FROM?

Different versions of this fish are quite common around the world.  However regardless of the breed, their external appearance as well as internal anatomy are “remarkably uniform.”  Originally 56 million years ago “two major subgroups of mullets .. diverged in the Paleocene/Early Eocene, followed by an Eocene/Oligocene radiation across both tropical and subtropical habitats.”

WHEN IS MULLET IN SEASON?

They are a winter fish running in the northern hemisphere from November up to early February.  For a great site to learn when and how to catch mullet, check out Robert Moreland’s blog at https://trizily.com/

WHY DO MULLETS LEAP INTO THE AIR SO MUCH?

There are several theories regarding this.  One is that this is how the mullet escapes from predators.  Other theories range from evading predators to breaking open their egg sacks.  However the most popular guess is that jumping allows this fish to trap more oxygen.  This in turn allows them to survive in lower oxygen environments!

ARE MULLETS HIGH IN MERCURY?

No they’re not.  Being on the lower end of the food chain, mullets are a low risk in terms of mercury content.