South African mullet explained

The South African mullet (Chelon richardsonii), also called a harder mullet or simply harder, is a species of mullet. It is found in South African coastal waters from Walvis Bay (Namibia) to KwaZulu-Natal, and grows to a maximum length of . The person the specific name honours was not recorded by Andrew Smith when he described this species but it is most likely to be John Richardson (1787-1865), the Scottish naturalist, surgeon and Arctic explorer.^[1]

It is also found inland in the waters of the Olifants River (Western Cape).^[2]

Local delicacy in South Africa

Mullet fish caught in the sea and estuaries of the West Coast region are processed by salting and air-drying into bokkoms by small local factories around Velddrif and Laaiplek.^[2]

See also

• The common name "harder mullet" in Germany refers to the flathead mullet, Mugil cephalus.
• The USS Harder (SS-257), a World War II era naval ship that was named after the fish.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Order MUGILIFORMES (Mullets) . 26 April 2024 . Christopher Scharpf . Kenneth J. Lazara . amp . The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database . Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara . 17 September 2022. v. 4.0.
2. Tayla Susan Louw . August 2020. An exploration of the post-harvest activities of the Olifants Estuary Small-Scale Fishery: Recommendations for equitable market access and beneficiation . University of Cape Town .