# Freshwater mullet

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Species of ray-finned fish

Freshwater mullet Conservation status Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1] Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Mugiliformes Family: Mugilidae Genus: Pseudomyxus Durand, Chen, Shen, Fu & Borsa, 2012 Species: P. capensis Binomial name Pseudomyxus capensis (Valenciennes, 1836) Synonyms Mugil capensis Valenciennes, 1836 Myxus capensis (Valenciennes, 1836) Mugil euronotus A. Smith, 1846 Trachystoma euronotus (A. Smith, 1846)

The **freshwater mullet** (*Pseudomyxus capensis*) is a species of [ray-finned fish](/source/Ray-finned_fish) in the family [Mugilidae](/source/Mullet_(fish)). It is [endemic](/source/Endemism) to [South Africa](/source/South_Africa).

## Distribution

The freshwater mullet is endemic to South Africa where is distribution extends from [Kwazulu-Natal](/source/Kwazulu-Natal), the [Eastern Cape](/source/Eastern_Cape) to the [Western Cape](/source/Western_Cape), from [Kosi Bay](/source/Kosi_Bay) to the [Breede River](/source/Breede_River) drainage.[1]

## Habitat and biology

This species is found in estuaries and the juveniles need freshwater reaches for growth and safety. The adults [spawn](/source/Spawn_(biology)) at sea, after reaching sexual maturity in estuaries.[1] The juveniles move into the estuaries and up into rivers in the late southern winter or early spring and then stay there for seven years for females and four years for males. They feed on benthic [algae](/source/Algae) and small invertebrates over muddy substrates.[2]

## Conservation

The freshwater mullet's range and population have been impacted by the damming of streams and the introduction of alien fish.[1]

## Taxonomy

The freshwater mullet was previously assigned to *[Myxus](/source/Myxus)*, but genetic studies in 2012 found it to be more closely related to the [Fringelip mullet](/source/Fringelip_mullet) than to the [Sand grey mullet](/source/Sand_grey_mullet), necessitating the erection of the [monospecific](/source/Monotypy) [genus](/source/Genus) *Pseudomyxus* for this species.[3][4]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-IUCN_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-IUCN_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-IUCN_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-IUCN_1-3) Swartz, E.; Impson, D. & Cambray, J. (2007). ["*Myxus capensis*"](http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/14264/0). *[The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species](/source/The_IUCN_Red_List_of_Threatened_Species)*. **2007**. [IUCN](/source/IUCN): e.T14264A4428878. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.2305/IUCN.UK.2007.RLTS.T14264A4428878.en](https://doi.org/10.2305%2FIUCN.UK.2007.RLTS.T14264A4428878.en). Retrieved 27 December 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FishBase_2-0)** [Froese, Rainer](/source/Rainer_Froese); [Pauly, Daniel](/source/Daniel_Pauly) (eds.). ["*Pseudomyxus capensis*"](https://www.fishbase.org/summary/SpeciesSummary.php?genusname=Pseudomyxus&speciesname=capensis). *[FishBase](/source/FishBase)*. June 2018 version.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Durand, J.-D., Shen, K.-N., Chen, W.-J., Jamandre, B.-W., Blel, H., Diop, K., et al. 2012. Systematics of the grey mullets (Teleostei: Mugiliformes: Mugilidae): molecular phylogenetic evidence challenges two centuries of morphology-based taxonomy. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 64, 73–92. doi: 10.1016/j.ympev.2012.03.006

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Durand, J.-D., W.-J. Chen, K.-N. Shen, C. Fu, & P. Borsa. 2012. Genus-level taxonomic changes implied b mitochondrial phylogeny of grey mullets (Teleostei: Mugilidae). Comptes Rendus Biologies, 335: 687-697.

v t e Mugiliformes species (Mullets) Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Actinopterygii Order Mugiliformes Mugilidae Agonostomus Comoro mullet (A. catalai) Fairy mullet (A. telfairii) Aldrichetta Yellow-eye mullet (A. forsteri) Cestraeus Cestraeus goldiei Cestraeus oxyrhyncus Lobed river mullet (C. plicatilis) Chaenomugil Snouted mullet (C. proboscideus) Chelon Golden grey mullet (C. auratus) Cape Verde mullet (C. bispinosus) Diassanga mullet (C. bandialensis) Chelon caeruleus Grooved mullet (C. dumerili) Thicklip grey mullet (C. labrosus) Chelon natalensis Thinlip grey mullet (C. ramada) South African mullet (C. richardsonii) Leaping mullet (C. saliens) Striped mullet (C. tricuspidens) Crenimugil Bluetail mullet (C. buchanani) Fringelip mullet (C. crenilabis) Half fringelip mullet (C. heterocheilos) Longfin mullet (C. pedaraki) Bluespot mullet (C. seheli) Dajaus Mountain mullet (D. monticola) Ellochelon Squaretail mullet (E. vaigiensis) Gracimugil Flat-tail mullet (G. argenteus) Joturus Bobo mullet (J. pichardi) Minimugil Yellowtail mullet (M. cascasia) Mugil Banana mullet (M. bananensis) Mugil brevirostris Broussonnet's mullet (M. broussonnetii) Leaping African mullet (M. capurrii) Flathead grey mullet (M. cephalus) White mullet (M. curema) Dwarf mullet (M. curvidens) Redeye mullet (M. gaimardianus) Galapagos mullet (M. galapagensis) Hospe mullet (M. hospes) Parassi mullet (M. incilis) Lebranche mullet (M. liza) Mugil margaritae Mugil rubrioculus Liseta mullet (M. setosus) Thoburn's mullet (M. thoburni) Mugil trichodon Myxus Sand grey mullet (M. elongatus) Neochelon Sicklefin mullet (N. falcipinnis) Neomyxus Acute-jawed mullet (N. leuciscus) Oedalechilus Boxlip mullet (O. labeo) Osteomugil Longarm mullet (O. cunnesius) Kanda (O. engeli) Osteomugil formosae Longfinned mullet (O. perusii) Robust mullet (O. robustus) Speigler's mullet (O. speigleri) Parachelon Largescaled mullet (P. grandisquamis) Paramugil Silver mullet (P. georgii) Broad-mouthed mullet (P. parmatus) Planiliza Abu mullet (P. abu) Diamond mullet (P. alata) Keeled mullet (P. carinata) So-iuy mullet (P. haematocheilus) Klunzinger's mullet (P. klunzingeri) Eastern keelback mullet (P. lauvergnii) Largescale mullet (P. macrolepis) Saint Lucia mullet (P. melinoptera) Indian mullet (P. mandapamensis) Planiliza ordensis Gold-spot mullet (P. parsia) Persian mullet (P. persicus) Tade gray mullet (P. planiceps) Greenback mullet (P. subviridis) Planiliza tade Plicomugil Hornlip mullet (P. labiosus) Pseudomyxus Freshwater mullet (P. capensis) Rhinomugil Corsula (R. corsula) Sicamugil Burmese mullet (S. hamiltonii) Squalomugil Shark mullet (S. nasutus) Trachystoma Pinkeye mullet (T. petardi)

Taxon identifiers Myxus capensis Wikidata: Q309221 BOLD: 11393 CoL: 45HKZ GBIF: 5212590 iNaturalist: 106439 IRMNG: 11215473 ITIS: 170402 IUCN: 14264 WoRMS: 218897

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