Mugil cephalus Linnaeus, 1758

Hasan, Ariba & Siddiqui, Pirzada Jamal Ahmed, 2020, Taxonomic study of the family Mugilidae from Pakistan coast (northern Arabian Sea), Zootaxa 4881 (1), pp. 131-151 : 134

Mugil cephalus Linnaeus, 1758

(Figure: 2)

D1: IV; D2: 8 A: III, 8; Pc: 15–17; Pl: I, 5 L. S: 38–42; T .S: 13–14

Local name. Boi, Meengh (Sin), Murbo (Bal), Springer, Grey mullet (Eng.)

FAO name. Flat head mullet

Material examined. 28 specimens of 251–496 TL.

Diagnosis. Body depth at origin of first dorsal fin is about 20–23% of SL and 18–23% of SL at origin of anal fin. Adipose eye-fold extensive over the head and eye. First dorsal fin origin nearer to snout tip than to caudal fin base. Anal fin with III spines and 8 soft rays. Pectoral fins 16–23% of SL and 58–69% of HL. Scale numbers: 38 to 42 in lateral series and 13 to 15 in transverse series.

Description. Body robust, moderately convex dorsally and broadly curved ventrally. Head dorsally broad and flat, and it is deeper than wide. Head length is 27 to 29 % of SL. Snout blunt and less than or equal to diameter of eye. Eye diameter ranges between 5–7% of SL. Pre-orbital bone slender, filling only half the space between lip and eye. Mouth terminal and slightly oblique. Origin of 2 nd dorsal fin is slightly behind the origin of anal fin. Anal fin with III spines and 8 soft rays. Pectoral axillary scale is long. Pectoral fins with 15 to 17 soft rays, covered with minute scales and placed high on body, not reaching to the origin of first dorsal fin; Caudal fin forked and entirely scaled. Scales weakly ctenoid.

Color. Dorsally olive green to bluish-grey, flanks silver and off white abdomen. 7–8 indistinct stripes along the longitudinal scales. Operculum has golden spot. Dark blue or purple spot at the base of pectoral fin.

Distribution. Most widely distributed along the Pakistan coast.