Thicklip Grey Mullet

Fascinating facts about the Thicklip Grey Mullet

• At just 32 cm on average, the thicklip grey mullet can stretch to a record 75 cm.
• When summer warms the North Atlantic, these mullets head northward.
• A single mullet’s diet reads like a bottom-floor buffet: benthic diatoms, algae clinging to rocks, tiny invertebrates, and detritus, all scraped from the seabed. It underscores the species’ role as a recycler of coastal ecosystems.
• In winter, the species releases its eggs and the fry are pelagic.
• A 2023 paper showed that the thicklip grey mullet harbors eleven species of Myxobolus parasites.

At a glance

About the Thicklip Grey Mullet

The thicklip grey mullet, Chelon labrosus, glides through coastal waters with a sleek, silvery-grey sheen and a distinctive, fleshy upper lip that gives the species its name. Adults typically reach about 32 cm (13 in) in length, though some individuals have been recorded at a striking 75 cm (30 in). These fish favor shallow, sheltered coasts, estuaries, and even the murky environs of power-station and sewer outfalls, and they are capable of venturing into fresh-water habitats. Their range stretches across the northeastern Atlantic, from Iceland down to Senegal and Cape Verde, encompassing the Mediterranean Sea and the southwestern Black Sea, and they embark on a partial northward migration each summer. In the winter, thicklip grey mullets release pelagic eggs that drift with the currents, hatching into equally pelagic fry. Their diet is a bustling buffet of benthic diatoms, epiphytic algae, tiny invertebrates, and detritus, reflecting their role as opportunistic bottom-feeders. A surprising trait uncovered by recent research is their parasite load: a 2023 study documented eleven distinct Myxobolus (Myxozoa) species inhabiting these fish, highlighting a complex hidden world of host-parasite interactions that scientists are only beginning to unravel. Their reputation as both a prized food source and a tenacious game fish adds another layer to their ecological story, drawing anglers to the very coasts they inhabit.

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