Bony fish · Mugiliformes · Mugilidae

Haarder

Mugil cephalus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

Genetic data has revealed that what was taken for a single species is in fact a complex of at least 14 distinct species worldwide.

Weight

up to 12 kg

Size

up to 1.2 m

Lifespan

7 years

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Irregular activity

Active at irregular times, by day or night depending on circumstances.

Social structure

School

Gathers in coordinated schools, typical of fish.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Fun facts

It eats detritus, microalgae and bottom-living organisms; the young feed on zooplankton.
It lives in warm and temperate coastal waters worldwide, often entering estuaries and rivers.
A female can release as many as 2.6 million eggs in open water.

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (fish)
Habitat & environment: Warm and temperate coastal waters worldwide, often entering estuaries, rivers and hypersaline environments
Birth weight: Tiny larva after hatching from the egg
Size at birth: Tiny larva at hatching
Sexual maturity: 3-4 years
Litter / clutch size: 0.8 to 2.6 million eggs per female, released in the open sea

Sources consulted: FishBase; UWI Life Sciences; Animal Diversity Web; Grokipedia; Fisheries Journal