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    Herring vs Mullet? Archived Message

    Posted by Mullet Supporter on 12/7/2007, 7:46 pm, in reply to "Re: New York New York..."

    With all due respect, the reference to Herrings is somewhat inaccurate.
    Herrings are strictly Northern Hemisphere fish and Mullet are found all over the place.
    Although often referred to as "Herrings", YEM's bear no actual relation to the Herring other than being another fish.


    "Herrings are small oily fish of the genus Clupea found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Atlantic, the Baltic Sea, the North Pacific, and the Mediterranean. There are 15 species of herring, the most abundant of which is the Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus).Herrings move in vast schools, coming in spring to the shores of Europe and America, where they are caught, salted and smoked in great quantities. Canned "sardines" (or pilchards) seen in supermarkets may actually be sprats or round herrings."

    "The mullets or grey 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.

    In North America, "mullet" by itself usually refers to Mugilidae. In Europe, the word "mullet" is usually qualified, the "grey mullets" being Mugilidae and the "red mullets" or "surmullets" being Mullidae, notably members of the genus Mullus, the red mullets. Outside Europe, the Mullidae are often called "goatfish". Fish with common names including the word "mullet" may be a member of one family or the other."

    On the other hand......

    Sardines or pilchards are a group of several types of small oily fish related to herrings, family Clupeidae. Sardines were named after the island of Sardinia, where they were once in abundance. [1]

    The terms are not precise, and the usual meanings vary by region; for instance, to many people a "sardine" is a young European pilchard.

    Now Kane, stop calling those Mullet Herrings! You are supposed to know what you are talking about and lots of people expect that from you.

    Thanks Wikipedia, this myth now lays to rest.

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