European Red Mullet

M. surmuletus and M. barbatus are nearly identical, and both come in various color schemes, not always red. The photo is of M. surmuletus. These are the "Red Mullet" called for in European cookbooks, but you're unlikely to find them in North America. M. barbatus can grow to 13 inches and 1-1/2 pounds. It is found mostly in the western Mediterranean and along the coast of Morocco. M. surmuletus can grow to 15 inches and 2 pounds. It is also found in the Western Mediterranean and the coast of Morocco, but is most common around the British Isles and in the North Sea. Both are usually marketed at between 2-1/2 and 8 ounces. Both are IUCN Red List LC (Least Concern)   Photo by Hans Hillewaert distributed under license Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5 Generic.

More on Goatfish Family.

General:   These Red Mullet are considered very fine eating fish in Europe, but are largely unavailable in North America. The "red mullet" sold here is generally the Indian Goatfish, which is a quite suitable substitute.