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In this video collage we have included various encounters with the Flathead grey, mullet Mugil cephalus (Cefalo o Muggine dorato, Dorino) , one of the most common mullet species in the Mediterranean Sea. We have met golden mullets on the surface and in open water where they mainly live with numerous individuals.
Flathead grey mullet Mugil cephalus Cefalo Muggine dorato intotheblue.it
Instead, what is rather strange for this species is that it lives in caves, if not to escape some predators such as sea bass, carangidae and amberjack. We filmed these two specimens of golden mullet in the same cave for several weeks during the summer, probably the presence of predators made these two specimens change their habit, deeming the cave safer than life in free water together with the others of the same species.
Mugil cephalus Cefalo Muggine dorato intotheblue.it
Mugil cephalus Linnaeus, 1758, commonly known as mullet or Golden mullet, is a fish belonging to the Mugilidae family. Muggine Cefalo – Mugil cephalus – IntotheBlue.it
Distribution and habitat
Its range is very vast, in fact it lives in all the tropical and warm temperate waters of the world (circumtropical distribution), in Europe it is widespread north up to the Gulf of Gascony.
It is a euryhaline species, capable of withstanding large variations in salinity, so much so that it is regularly found in both marine, fresh and brackish waters. It is able to live even in polluted environments, in fact it is frequently found inside ports. Lives in shoals (especially young). It is encountered above all where there are hard bottoms or artifacts but it does not disdain completely soft bottoms as long as the depth of the water is sufficiently shallow.
Flathead grey mullet Mugil cephalus Cefalo Muggine dorato intotheblue.it
Diet
It feeds on all types of benthic invertebrates and also on decomposing organic material. It feeds on the bottom although it is common to encounter it on the surface.
Reproduction
The specimens that reach 20 cm are sexually mature and lay their eggs in the sea. After hatching the fry, first approaching the coast, go up the freshwater streams that flow into the sea.
https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mugil_cephalus
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