Mugil liza
Liza
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
There are no photos available for this taxon yet.
Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Mugiliformes
Mugilidae (Mullets)
Mugil
Mugil liza (Liza)
Description
This species account was compiled from
FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2025. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version 04/2025.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
It may contain errors in spelling, punctuation, or formatting.
When citing, please reference the original source rather than this page.
Learn more about our species accounts.
Characters
Body shape: fusiform / normal.
Distribution
Western Atlantic: Bermuda, Florida (USA), Bahamas, and throughout the Caribbean Sea to Argentina.
Habitat Associations
Freshwater, brackish, marine. demersal. Found in: estuaries.
Biology
Inhabit coastal marine waters and brackish estuaries (Ref. 3791); also found in hyper-saline lagoons and may enter freshwater (Ref. 5217). Never far from the sea (Ref. 3791). Form sizeable schools (Ref. 3791). Appear to undergo trophic migrations along the coasts (Ref. 35237). Feed on organic detritus and filamentous algae (Ref. 9626). Oviparous, eggs are pelagic and non-adhesive (Ref. 205). Spawn several million eggs (Ref. 35237) at sea (Ref. 3791). Also caught with beach nets (Ref. 5217). Marketed fresh and salted (Ref. 5217). The roe is marketed salt-pickled and dried and considered a delicacy (Ref. 5217).
Max length: 80.0 cm TL; common length: 40.0 cm TL; max weight: 9000 g.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none.
IUCN Red List Status: Data Deficient (DD), assessed 2018-12-05. Resilience: Medium (K=0.11-0.3; tmax=10; assuming tm=2-3).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish; aquaculture: commercial.
References
Jenyns, L. (1842) Fish. In C. Darwin (ed.) The zoology of the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle, under the command of Captain Fitzroy, R.N., during the years 1832-1836. Smith, Elder & Co., London (in 4 parts): p. 1-32 (Jan. 1840); 33-64 (Jun. 1840); 65-96 (Apr. 1841); 97-172 (Apr. 1842).
Thomson, J.M. (1978) Mugilidae. In W. Fischer (ed.) FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Western Central Atlantic (Fishing Area 31). Vol. 3. [pag. var.]. FAO, Rome.
Cervigón, F., R. Cipriani, W. Fischer, L. Garibaldi, M. Hendrickx, A.J. Lemus, R. Márquez, J.M. Poutiers, G. Robaina and B. Rodriguez (1992) Fichas FAO de identificación de especies para los fines de la pesca. Guía de campo de las especies comerciales marinas y de aquas salobres de la costa septentrional de Sur América. FAO, Rome. 513 p. Preparado con el financiamento de la Comisión de Comunidades Europeas y de NORAD.
Robins, C.R. and G.C. Ray (1986) A field guide to Atlantic coast fishes of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, U.S.A. 354 p.
Keith, P., P.-Y. Le Bail and P. Planquette (2000) Atlas des poissons d'eau douce de Guyane. Tome 2, Fascicule I: Batrachoidiformes, Mugiliformes, Beloniformes, Cyprinodontiformes, Synbranchiformes, Perciformes, Pleuronectiformes, Tetraodontiformes. Collection Patrimoines Naturels 43(I): 286p. Paris: Publications scientifiques du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle.
Comments On Mugil liza