The mullet is one of the most
abundant species in our bays.
The flesh of this species is
soft but quite tasty provided it is eaten soon after capture.
Mullet have slender, rounded bodies with broad, slightly
flattened heads. They have two widely separated dorsal fins, the
first with four spines have the second with one spine and a
varying number of soft rays. Mullet have an olive brown to
green-blue coloured back and silver to light yellow sides and
belly.
Mullet are mostly found in schools sand and mud bottoms in water
depths up to 20m. They are primarily an estuarine resident -
particularly in the juvenile phase - but have a broad salinity
tolerance and are frequently found both in full sea water and
fresh water.
There are catch limits and size limits
on most fish caught in Victorian waters. Please
check the regulations before setting out.
They eat a wide range of both plant and animal matter. They feed
mainly on detritus - including algae and seagrass particles, but
will also feed on plankton and a variety of small invertebrate
animals when available. They are one of the few mullet species
which readily take a baited hook.
Mullet are generally not as keenly sought by anglers as other
prime target species such as snapper, bream and whiting.
However, mullet are an important component of the recreational
catches of shore-based anglers . They are most often caught
using barely and a small baited hook hung under a float near the
surface.
There is no minimum legal length for recreational catching of
yellow-eye mullet in Victoria, as stocks of this species are
considered to be under no threat from present levels of fishing
pressure.
LOCAL FISHING
