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Chelon richardsonii (Smith, 1846)

South African mullet
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Native range | All suitable habitat | Point map | Year 2050
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Chelon richardsonii   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Chelon richardsonii (South African mullet)
Chelon richardsonii
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Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Mugiliformes (Mullets) > Mugilidae (Mullets)
Etymology: Chelon: Greek, chelone = turtle (Ref. 45335).
Eponymy: Sir John Richardson (1787–1865) was a Scottish naval surgeon, naturalist and Arctic explorer. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; freshwater; brackish; demersal; catadromous (Ref. 46888). Subtropical; 16°S - 36°S

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Southeast Atlantic: South African coastal waters from Walfish Bay to Natal.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm 25.0  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 40.5 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3573); common length : 30.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 2830)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 5; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8 - 9; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 9.
Body shape (shape guide): fusiform / normal.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Found in coastal waters, mainly off rocky points and sandy beaches; may enter estuaries which serve as nursery areas (Ref. 27121). Feed mainly on diatoms and detritus, but also on planktonic crustaceans (Ref. 27121). Oviparous, eggs are pelagic and non-adhesive (Ref. 205). A primary target species of the inshore net fishery and much of it is sold salted and dried and known as 'bokkoms'. It is also an important exhibit species in public aquaria in South Africa. It is parasitised by the monogenean Gyrodactylus molweni on the external body surface (Ref. 124050).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Harrison, Ian | Collaborators

Smith, M.M. and J.L.B. Smith, 1986. Mugilidae. p. 714-720. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. (Ref. 4393)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)

Not Evaluated 

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: public aquariums
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items (preys)
Diet composition
Food consumption
Food rations
Predators
Ecology
Ecology
Home ranges
Population dynamics
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Recruitment
Abundance
Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturity
Maturity/Gills rel.
Fecundity
Spawning
Spawning aggregations
Eggs
Egg development
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Distribution
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BRUVS - Videos
Anatomy
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Otolith
Physiology
Body composition
Nutrients
Oxygen consumption
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Visual pigments
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Toxicity (LC50s)
Genetics
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Genetics
Heterozygosity
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Aquaculture systems
Aquaculture profiles
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Ciguatera cases
Stamps, coins, misc.
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Taxonomy
Common names
Synonyms
Morphology
Morphometrics
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References
References

Tools

E-book | Field guide | Identification keys | Length-frequency wizard | Life-history tool | Point map | Catch-MSY |

Special reports

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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | OneZoom | Open Tree of Life | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | TreeBase | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 14.8 - 27, mean 24.8 °C (based on 56 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.5010   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01096 (0.00599 - 0.02007), b=2.95 (2.80 - 3.10), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & Genus-body shape (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  2.4   ±0.16 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Low to moderate vulnerability (31 of 100). 🛈
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Medium.
Nutrients (Ref. 124155):  Calcium = 53.2 [14.2, 311.9] mg/100g; Iron = 0.741 [0.382, 1.308] mg/100g; Protein = 18.2 [16.8, 19.7] %; Omega3 = 0.681 [0.307, 1.551] g/100g; Selenium = 7.2 [3.0, 17.9] μg/100g; VitaminA = 11.3 [3.4, 37.6] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.691 [0.433, 1.097] mg/100g (wet weight);