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Freshwater Mullet
Trachystoma petardi (Castelnau, 1875)
Above and below: A 35 cm long (1.1 kg) Freshwater Mullet caught on hook and line by M. Charlton, in the Williams River, New South Wales, February 2004 (AMS I.43255-001). View larger image.
The Freshwater Mullet is a stout fish with a large belly and a deeply forked tail. It has a small head that is shorter than the body depth.
This species is greenish brown above, and silvery on the sides and below. The fins are dusky coloured.
The Freshwater Mullet grows to 80 cm in length and 7.5 kg in weight, although is more commonly caught at sizes up to 40 cm.
It is endemic to Australia. It occurs in freshwater coastal streams, as well as estuarine and coastal waters from southern Queensland to southern New South Wales.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
This species is frequently placed in genus Myxus. It is also known as the Pinkeye, Richmond Mullet and River Mullet.
Related links
- Flat-tail Mullet fact sheet
- Diamond-scale Mullet fact sheet
- Sea Mullet fact sheet
- View the 'Why do mullet jump?' FAQ
Further reading
- Allen, G.R., Midgley, S.H. & Allen, M. 2002. Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 394 pp. (as Myxus petardi)
- Merrick, J.R. & G.E. Schmida. 1984. Australian Freshwater Fishes. Biology and Management. John R. Merrick. Pp. 409. (as Myxus petardi)
- Thomson, J.M. in McDowall, R.M. 1996. Freshwater Fishes of South-Eastern Australia. Reed Books. Pp. 247. (as Myxus petardi)
