Red mullet

High school (ages 12+)
Food & Cooking

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/red-mullet

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific names?Mullus barbatus and Mullus surmuletus
2. What is the diet?Benthic invertebrates including crustaceans, polychaete worms, and mollusks, located using barbels
3. What is a red mullet and where does it live?The red mullet is a colorful fish that swims near the sea floor in places like the Mediterranean, Black Sea, and eastern Atlantic. It likes sandy or rocky bottoms and can live from shallow waters to about 400 meters deep.
4. How does a red mullet find food on the sea floor?Red mullets have special feel‑sensing whiskers on their chin called barbels. These barbels have taste buds that help the fish find tiny animals buried in the sand, like crustaceans, worms, and mollusks.

Demersal: Describes fish that live and feed on or near the bottom of a body of water.
Benthic: Relating to or occurring at the bottom of a body of water, such as a sea or lake.
Chemoreceptors: Sensory receptors that detect chemical stimuli, such as taste and smell.
Mechanoreceptors: Sensory receptors that respond to mechanical stimuli, such as touch, pressure, and vibration.