Freshwater mullet

{{Short description|Species of ray-finned fish}} {{Speciesbox | image = Pseudomyxus capensis.jpg | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name = IUCN>{{Cite journal | author = Swartz, E. | author2 = Impson, D. | author3 = Cambray, J. | name-list-style = amp | title = ''Myxus capensis'' | journal = [[The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species]] | volume = 2007 | page = e.T14264A4428878 | publisher = [[IUCN]] | date = 2007 | url = http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/14264/0 | doi = 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2007.RLTS.T14264A4428878.en | access-date = 27 December 2017| doi-access = free }}</ref> | taxon = Pseudomyxus capensis | parent_authority = Durand, Chen, Shen, Fu & Borsa, 2012 | authority = ([[Achille Valenciennes|Valenciennes]], 1836) | synonyms = *''Mugil capensis'' Valenciennes, 1836 *''Myxus capensis'' (Valenciennes, 1836) *''Mugil euronotus'' [[Andrew Smith (zoologist)|A. Smith]], 1846 *''Trachystoma euronotus'' (A. Smith, 1846) }}

The '''freshwater mullet''' (''Pseudomyxus capensis'') is a species of [[ray-finned fish]] in the family [[Mullet (fish)|Mugilidae]]. It is [[Endemism|endemic]] to [[South Africa]].

==Distribution== The freshwater mullet is endemic to South Africa where is distribution extends from [[Kwazulu-Natal]], the [[Eastern Cape]] to the [[Western Cape]], from [[Kosi Bay]] to the [[Breede River]] drainage.<ref name = IUCN/>

==Habitat and biology== This species is found in estuaries and the juveniles need freshwater reaches for growth and safety. The adults [[Spawn (biology)|spawn]] at sea, after reaching sexual maturity in estuaries.<ref name = IUCN/> 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]] and small invertebrates over muddy substrates.<ref name = FishBase>{{FishBase|Pseudomyxus|capensis|month=June|year=2018}}</ref>

==Conservation== The freshwater mullet's range and population have been impacted by the damming of streams and the introduction of alien fish.<ref name = IUCN/>

==Taxonomy== The freshwater mullet was previously assigned to ''[[Myxus]]'', but genetic studies in 2012 found it to be more closely related to the [[Fringelip mullet]] than to the [[Sand grey mullet]], necessitating the erection of the [[Monotypy|monospecific]] [[genus]] ''Pseudomyxus'' for this species.<ref>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</ref><ref>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.</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

[[Category:Myxus]] [[Category:Freshwater fish of South Africa]] [[Category:Fish described in 1836]] [[Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot]] [[Category:Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN]]