Pinkeye Mullet

Interesting Info

• The Pinkeye Mullet is a unique mullet found only in eastern Australia, ranging from the Clarence River in New South Wales north to the Fitzroy River in Queensland.
• Unlike most mullets, which live mainly in estuaries and coastal waters, Pinkeye Mullet spend most of their lives in freshwater rivers and only migrate to the sea to spawn.
• They get their name from the pinkish tint in the eye that can appear in adults, especially when freshly caught.
• Their body is deep and silvery, with a slightly greenish back and a strong, forked tail built for long upstream migrations.
• Pinkeye Mullet are important for nutrient cycling, as they feed on algae, detritus, and plant material scraped from rocks and sediment, recycling energy back into the food web.
• They are strong schooling fish, often seen moving in large groups through rivers and estuaries.
• They prefer large rivers with deep pools, rocky runs, and flowing water, and are often found well upstream from tidal influence.
• Populations have declined in some rivers due to dams, weirs, and barriers that block their migrations, along with habitat degradation.
• Their reliance on both rivers and the sea makes them a good example of a catadromous fish (opposite of salmon, which are anadromous).
• Breeding takes place in the sea during late summer to autumn (January–April). Adults migrate downstream from rivers into estuaries and coastal waters, where females release hundreds of thousands of eggs. The larvae drift in the ocean before returning to rivers as juveniles.
• Lifespan is around 5–7 years, though some older fish may live longer in undisturbed rivers.