You can sponsor this page

Chelon richardsonii (Smith, 1846)

South African mullet
Add your observation in Fish Watcher
Native range | All suitable habitat | Point map | Year 2050
This map was computer-generated and has not yet been reviewed.
Chelon richardsonii   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
Upload your photos and videos
 Pictures | Google image
Image of Chelon richardsonii (South African mullet)
Chelon richardsonii
Picture by SFSA

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Mugiliformes (Mullets) > Mugilidae (Mullets)
Etymology: Chelon: Greek, chelone = turtle (Ref. 45335).

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; freshwater; brackish; demersal; catadromous (Ref. 46888). Subtropical; 16°S - 36°S

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Southeast Atlantic: South African coastal waters from Walfish Bay to Natal.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm 25.0  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 40.5 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3573); common length : 30.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 2830)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 5; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8 - 9; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 9.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Found in coastal waters, mainly off rocky points and sandy beaches; may enter estuaries which serve as nursery areas (Ref. 27121). Feed mainly on diatoms and detritus, but also on planktonic crustaceans (Ref. 27121). Oviparous, eggs are pelagic and non-adhesive (Ref. 205). A primary target species of the inshore net fishery and much of it is sold salted and dried and known as 'bokkoms'. It is also an important exhibit species in public aquaria in South Africa. It is parasitised by the monogenean Gyrodactylus molweni on the external body surface (Ref. 124050).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Harrison, Ian | Collaborators

Smith, M.M. and J.L.B. Smith, 1986. Mugilidae. p. 714-720. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. (Ref. 4393)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

  Not Evaluated 

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: public aquariums
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items
Diet compositions
Food consumptions
Food rations
Predators
Ecology
Ecology
Population dynamics
Growths
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversions
Recruitments
Abundances
Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturities
Fecundities
Spawnings
Spawning aggregations
Egg(s)
Egg developments
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Distribution
Countries
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
BRUVS - Videos
Anatomy
Gill areas
Brains
Otoliths
Physiology
Body compositions
Nutrients
Oxygen consumptions
Swimming type
Swimming speeds
Visual pigment(s)
Fish sounds
Diseases / Parasites
Toxicities (LC50s)
Genetics
Genetics
Electrophoreses
Heritabilities
Human related
Aquaculture systems
Aquaculture profiles
Strains
Ciguatera cases
Stamps, coins, misc.
Outreach
Collaborators
Taxonomy
Common names
Synonyms
Morphology
Morphometrics
Pictures
References
References

Tools

E-book | Field guide | Identification keys | Length-frequency wizard | Life-history tool | Point map | Classification Tree | Catch-MSY |

Special reports

Check for Aquarium maintenance | Check for Species Fact Sheets | Check for Aquaculture Fact Sheets

Download XML

Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | BOLDSystems | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GenBank: genome, nucleotide | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | MitoFish | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 14.8 - 27, mean 24.8 °C (based on 56 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.5005   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01096 (0.00602 - 0.01998), b=2.95 (2.80 - 3.10), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & Genus-body shape (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  2.4   ±0.16 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Low to moderate vulnerability (31 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Medium.
Nutrients (Ref. 124155):  Calcium = 53.2 [14.2, 311.9] mg/100g; Iron = 0.741 [0.382, 1.308] mg/100g; Protein = 18.2 [16.8, 19.7] %; Omega3 = 0.681 [0.307, 1.551] g/100g; Selenium = 7.2 [3.0, 17.9] μg/100g; VitaminA = 11.3 [3.4, 37.6] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.691 [0.433, 1.097] mg/100g (wet weight);