Fish
Southern Mullet
Chelon richardsonii
The abundant streamlined 'harder' of the Cape, shoaling in surf, bays and estuaries in vast numbers.
Also known as cape harder, mullet southern
- Typical size
- Commonly 20-35 cm
- Habitat
- Surf zone, bays and estuaries
- Depth
- Shallow inshore waters
The southern mullet, universally known as the harder, is a slim silver fish with a bluish-grey back, small mouth and a torpedo-shaped body built for the surf. It is enormously abundant along the southern and western Cape, forming dense shoals in the shallow surf zone, sheltered bays and estuaries.
It grazes on fine algae, detritus and diatoms sifted from the water and sediment. A cornerstone of the Cape food web and inshore net fishery, it is the classic bait and braai fish of the West Coast, and shoals are a common sight for divers in shallow inshore water.