Chelon saliens (Risso, 1810)

Freyhof, JÖrg, Yoğurtçuoğlu, Baran, Jouladeh-Roudbar, Arash & Kaya, Cüneyt, 2025, Handbook of Freshwater Fishes of West Asia, De Gruyter : 807-808

Chelon saliens

Common name. Sharpnose mullet.

Diagnosis. Distinguished from other species of mullets entering freshwaters in Mediterranean, Caspian, and Black Sea basins by: ● predorsal scales with 2–5 longitudinal grooves / ● 48–49 scales in lateral series (not including scales on caudal base) / ○ 20 circumpeduncular scale rows / ○ when folded forward, pectoral reaching eye / ○ posterior extremity of upper jaw not reaching anterior rim of eye / ○ upper lip smooth /○ without adipose tissue rim around eye / ○ pectoral short, not reaching close to vertical of first dorsal origin. Size up to 350 mm SL.

Distribution. Mediterranean, Black Sea, and eastern Atlantic from Angola to Bay of Biscay. Introduced in Caspian Sea.

Habitat. Pelagic near shore, sometimes in lagoons and estuaries. Spawns at sea.

Mugil cephalus ; Mesolongi, Greece; ~ 300 mm SL.

Biology. Usually in schools. Males spawn for first time at 2, females at 3 years. Females larger than males. Spawns pelagic eggs in May–August, rarely until early October. Juveniles about 20 mm SL move to coastal lagoons and estuaries in summer and autumn. Juveniles feed on zooplankton to about 30 mm SL, then benthic organisms to 50 mm SL; adults feed on algae and plant detritus.

Conservation status. NT; like almost all Chelon , this species has declined considerably over the last 20 years.

Remarks. Seems rarely to enter freshwaters and might be excluded from freshwater fish in future. Only known from sea in Caspian.

Further reading. Ben Tuvia, in Whitehead et al. 1986 (description); Gandolfi et al. 1991 (biology); Thomson 1997 (systematics); Harrison 2003d (biology).

Mugil cephalus ; KÖprüçay drainage, Türkiye; ~ 160 mm SL.