Fringe Lipped Mullet

Catadromous. Migrating from freshwater to the sea to spawn, e.g., European eels. Subdivision of diadromous. Migrations should be cyclical and predictable and cover more than 100 km.

Dorsal spines (total): 4 - 5; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8; Analspines: 3; Analsoft rays: 8 - 9

Found in coastal waters and ascending rivers into freshwater, penetrating far upstream from river mouth. Found in turbid channels and over gravel-bottoms. Oviparous, eggs are pelagic and non-adhesive (Ref. 205). Food-fish.

fisheries: commercial

Crenimugil heterocheilus (Bleeker, 1855)

USNM 217233, Fly 75–1, 1: 437 mm.

USNM 217234, Fly 75–10, 2: 170–178 mm.

USNM 217235, Fly 75–27, 2: 50.9–53.2 mm.

Crenimugil heterocheilus from the Fly have head relatively narrow, adipose eyelid poorly developed (virtually absent). Oral teeth entirely absent at all sizes (50–440 mm). Upper lip moderately thick, specimens of 170–440 mm with 2–5 irregular rows of papillae terminating in hard, pointed tubercles. Maxillary bone hidden. Lower lip thin, horizontal (not folded down), nonpapillate. Symphyseal knob well developed. Preorbital bone finely scalloped or denticulate. Gill membranes extended far forward; gill rakers on first gill arch about 20 + 50 in 170-mm specimen. Scales in lateral series 35–37. Predorsal scales 21 (maximum count). Transverse scales 14 (counted from median scale at origin of first dorsal fin obliquely backward to median scale about one or two scales anterior to vent). Axillary pectoral fin scale and obbasal dorsal and pelvic fin scales enlarged and elongate. First dorsal fin IV, second dorsal fin I 8, anal fin III 9, pectoral fin 15. Pectoral fin falls short of a vertical line through origin of first dorsal fin, extending posteriorly only as far as tenth scale posterior to gill opening. Caudal fin only slightly forked. Total free vertebrae 23. Color in life of 440-mm specimen from Upper Fly (taken from a kodachrome slide): dorsum dark with bluish reflections; sides of head and body and abdomen entirely white with silvery reflections; first dorsal fin entirely dark; second dorsal fin blackish with distal tip bright orange yellow; caudal fin pale bluish with tips of both lobes bright orange yellow; anal fin pale whitish with tip pale yellow; pectoral fin bluish black with distal tip bright orange yellow; pelvic fins white.

Prof. J. M. Thomson of the University of Queensland kindly identified this species from a Kodachrome slide of the 440-mm specimen and notes based upon my examination of it and the other specimens. According to Prof. Thomson, who has examined Bleeker's type specimens, the species ranges from Indonesia to the New Hebrides.

Liza diadema (Gilchrist and Thompson, 1911)

USNM 217236, Fly 75–18, 1: 402 mm.

Crenimugil heterocheilos, the half fringelip mullet, is a member of the ray-finned fish family Mugilidae widely found throughout the Indo-Pacific. This species can reach a length of 50.0 centimetres (19.7 in) SL.