Mullus surmuletus - Red Mullet
Phylum: Chordata - Class: Actinopterygii - Order: Perciformes - Family: Mullidae
Red Mullet are small fish - the Welsh rod-caught record stands at 1lb 7oz, although fish of twice that size have been caught from other parts of Britain. The colour varies enormously, and at some times and locations these fish really are very bright red.
The blunt snout and two barbels are distinctive, as are the three or four yellow stripes running down the flanks. The barbels are a clue that this is a bottom feeder, usually encountered over sand and mud but not uncommon in rocky places too.
Worms are a very good bait for red mullet.
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