Depth
Chelon · Bony Fish

Thinlip Grey Mullet

Chelon ramada

0 - 20 m
Depth Range
70 cm
Max Size
Mediterranean
Distribution
0 - 20 m
Depth Range
70 cm
Max Size
Coastal
Habitat
Omnivore
Diet
Schooling
Social
LC
IUCN Status
High
Sighting Likelihood
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassActinopterygii
GenusChelon
Speciesramada

Bony Fish

Identification & Biology

  • IdentificationStreamlined mullet with a thin, smooth upper lip that lacks the papillae of other mullets. Blue-grey back and bright silver flanks. Relatively narrow head.
  • SizeUp to 60 cm total length, commonly 25 to 40 cm.
  • Social HabitSchooling species that forms large aggregations, particularly in estuaries and lagoons.
  • HabitatEstuaries, lagoons, rivers, and coastal waters. Highly tolerant of fresh water and regularly enters rivers.
  • Depth0 to 20 m, primarily in the shallows and often in brackish or fresh water.
  • Feeds OnAlgae, organic detritus, and small invertebrates grazed from the substrate.
  • DistributionEastern Atlantic from southern Norway to Senegal, including the Mediterranean and Black Sea.
  • DescriptionOne of the most adaptable Mediterranean mullets, regularly moving between salt, brackish, and fresh water. Its thin upper lip distinguishes it from the thicklip and other grey mullets. Common in Maltese coastal lagoons and river outlets.

Range

Habitat & Distribution

Found in coastal waters, estuaries, and harbours from the surface to about 20 m depth. The most euryhaline of the Mediterranean mullets, readily entering brackish and fresh water.

Where Malta divers have spotted this species

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Sightings are logged by divers using our What Did You See? dive-log tool. View the full live sightings map.

Detail

Preferred Environment

Estuaries, harbours, lagoons, and coastal waters. Strongly euryhaline, commonly found in brackish and fresh water. Feeds over muddy and sandy substrates in sheltered environments.

Encounter Tips

Look in harbours and areas where freshwater enters the sea. Often in mixed schools with other mullet species. The thin, smooth upper lip distinguishes this from the thicklip species at close range.

Thinlip Grey Mullet species card

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Where to Encounter in Malta

Dive sites where Chelon ramada may be encountered will be added as sighting data is collected.

IUCN Red ListLeast Concern

Conservation Status

This species is assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Mediterranean populations face ongoing pressure from fishing activity, habitat degradation, and climate-driven changes.

Source: IUCN Red List
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