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Golden Grey Mullet

Chelon auratus

Mugilidae Season Open

Identification

The golden grey mullet is the smallest of the three mullet species in the Netherlands, up to 30 cm. The most distinctive feature is the golden-yellow spot on the gill cover, larger and clearer than in the thinlip mullet. The body is silvery with a proportionally large head.

Ecology

Lives in shallow coastal waters, lagoons, and estuaries. Feeds on algae and detritus. More saltwater-bound than the other mullet species.

In the Netherlands

The rarest of the three Dutch mullet species. Occasionally found in the Oosterschelde and along the Zeeland coast. May be overlooked due to similarity with the thinlip mullet.