black sea red data book - Department of Biology

Mullus barbatus ponticus (Esipov, 1927)
Synonyms: Mullus barbatus Linnaeus, 1758; Mullus barbatus Pallas, 1811.
Common names: Engl: Red mullet; Bulg: Barbunja; Rom: Barbun; Russ: Sultanka;
Turk: Barbunya; Ukr: Barabulya.
Order PERCIFORMES
Family MULLEDAE
Taxonomic description. Head deep and short, c. 20 % of total length, with a pair of
long barbels under the chin; profile of snout nearly vertical, mouth reaching level of
the eyes. Under the orbit, two large scales preceded by a smaller suborbital scale.
Upper jaw toothless; back and sides reddish-pink without yellow lengthwise bands.
First dorsal fin without dark spots or bands. Body rather compressed, two well
separated dorsal fins, the first with 8-9 spines, the second with one spine and eight
soft rays. Scales large and easily detached. Size maximum 30 cm; on average
10 to 15 cm.
IUCN Status
World level:
Black Sea Regional level: EN
Subregion level: EN
Distribution, Habitat type, Critical habitats, Limiting factors. A bottom fish of
shallow sands and mud bottoms, but may occur down to depths of between 20 and
200 m. Common in the Mediterranean, Azov Seas, eastern Atlantic from the British
Isles to the coast of Senegal. Hypoxia and pollution are limiting factors.
Biology. Feeds predominantly on small bottom-living invertebrates (crabs, worms...),
but also zooplankton, fish larvae and vegetal debris. Small schools live in deep
waters in the summer, coming to the coasts at 7-8 °C in spring; after that, at 15-16 °C
they sink again to deeper waters. Reproduction takes place in June-September, at 9-
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