The mullets are a family (Mugilidae) of ray-finned fish found worldwide in coastal temperate and tropical waters, and in some species in fresh water also. Mullets have served as an important source of food in Mediterranean Europe since Roman times. The family includes about 80 species in 17 genera.
Taxonomically, the family is usually treated as the sole member of the order Mugiliformes, but as Nelson says, "there has been much disagreement concerning the relationships" of this family. The presence of fin spines clearly indicates membership in the superorder Acanthopterygii, and in the 1960s Gosline classed them as primitive perciforms, while others have grouped them in Atheriniformes. FishBase follows Gosline in placing the family in the Perciformes.
A number of species of the goatfishes (Mullidae), in particular the red mullet and others in the genus Mullus, are also commonly known as "mullets".
Part of the foraging is done out of the water on exposed reefs; fish are therefore unable to follow the moray and take advantage of its hunting activities.
Javad Ghasemzadeh, Walter Ivantsoff and Aarn: Historical overview of mugilid systematics, with description of Paramugil (Teleostei; Mugiliformes;Mugilidae), new genus, pp.
The history of the systematic relationships of the mugilids is reviewed, concluding with the modern concept of Mugilidae comprising 17 genera with 80 species, one of five taxa comprising ?Smegmamorpha÷.
The best known aquarium fish from this order are the Dermogenys, but also the common garfish and the flying fish belong to this order.
Besides this, the very small order of Phallostethiformes have been placed near the toothcarps (Berg a.o.) but also near the order Mugiliformes.
The Mugiliformes contain several good aquarium fishes: the rainbowfish (Melanotaenia), Celebes rainbowfish (Telmatherina) and Bedotia species from Madagascar.
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