black sea red data book - Department of Biology

Liza ramada Risso, 1826
Synonyms: Mugil capito Cuvier, 1829; Mugil capito Bonaparte, 1834; Liza capito
Popov, 1930; Mugil aramada Borcea, 1934; Liza tamada Buen, 1935
Common names: Engl: Thin lip grey mullet; Bulg: Kefal; Rom: Platarin; Russ:
KefaV; Turk: Pulatarina
Order MUGILIFORMES
Family MUGILIDAE
Taxonomic description. Body elongate, fusiform, slightly compressed; head short
and flattened with a broad terminal mouth; teeth very small, hardly visible; upper lip
thin (its greatest depth less than half the eye diameter) and smooth (without
tubercles); two dorsal fins: the first one short with four slender spines, taller than
longer; the second as tall as the first; ventral fins inserted at mid-distance between
pectoral and first dorsal fin; pectoral fin short; anal fin usually with nine soft rays;
caudal fin deeply forked; no external lateral line; scales large and adherent; scales on
the top of the head extending forward to anterior nostrils (almost to upper lip); eye not
covered by a thick adipose lid; a scaly appendix at base of pectoral fin; colour grey-
dark brown on the back, belly whitish-grey, often with 6-7 lengthwise stripes. Size:
maximum 60 cm; average 20-40 cm.
IUCN Status
World level:
Black Sea Regional level:
Subregion level: VU
Habitat type, Critical habitat, Limiting factors. Schools of L. ramada occur
mostly in shallow water, especially in brackish and coastal lagoons of varying
salinity. Common throughout the Mediterranean and along the northwestern
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