FishDatabase

Mountain Mullet

Agonostomus monticola

Mugilidae · freshwater and saltwater and brackish water fish

1 minute read · Species guide

Mountain Mullet field guide illustration

About Mountain Mullet

The mountain mullet (Dajaus monticola) is a freshwater ray-finned fish of the family Mugilidae. It can be found in North and South America, from North Carolina, Florida, Louisiana and Texas in the United States to Colombia and Venezuela, including the West Indies in the Antilles. It is the only species in the monotypic genus Dajaus.

NativeFreshSaltBrackish7 states

Conservation

It is considered threatened in Costa Rica. It is found from sea level up to 650 m (2,130 ft) in altitude in the rivers of the Maquenque National Wildlife Refuge. It is common in the Toro Negro State Forest in central Puerto Rico. and in mountain rivers of the Dominican Republic.

Article text: Wikipedia contributors, Mountain mullet (source revision). Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Range

Where it lives

Share of 133 GBIF observation records with a state location, across 7 states.
0%
54.9%
Share of 133 GBIF observation records with a state location, across 7 states.

Share of records by state

Habitat

Water and movement

Water
WoRMS records this species in fresh water, brackish water and the sea.
Migration
Migratory
Pattern
  • Catadromous — spawns at sea, grows in fresh water
  • Amphidromous — moves between fresh water and the sea, but not to spawn
Disagreement
5 published references do not agree on the pattern: Amphidromous, Catadromous. The site shows every assignment rather than picking one.

Classification

Taxonomy

Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Superclass
Actinopterygii
Class
Teleostei
Order
Mugiliformes
Family
Mugilidae
Genus
Agonostomus
Species
Agonostomus monticola
ITIS TSN
170355
WoRMS AphiaID
159413
GBIF key
9577973
Outside the US
ITIS also files it in Caribbean Territories.

Common questions about Mountain Mullet

What is the scientific name of Mountain Mullet?
The scientific name is Agonostomus monticola, in the family Mugilidae. Classification follows ITIS.
Does Mountain Mullet live in fresh water or salt water?
WoRMS records this species in fresh water, brackish water and the sea.
Where has Mountain Mullet been recorded in the United States?
GBIF has observations in 7 states, with the most records in Florida, Texas, Louisiana. The map shows observation records, which do not establish the complete natural range.

Same family

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Silver Mullet18 states
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