The Complete Guide to New Zealand Grey Mullet — Kanae | Fish Species Guide

The Complete Guide to New Zealand Grey Mullet — Kanae

Everything you need to know about one of New Zealand's most abundant inshore fish: where to find grey mullet, how they live, the best ways to catch them, and the rules you need to follow.

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If there's one fish that defines New Zealand's harbours and estuaries, it's the grey mullet. Known as kanae in te reo Māori, these sleek silver-green fish have been a staple food source for Kiwis — Māori and Pākehā alike — for centuries. You'll spot them leaping and splashing in every northern harbour, cruising the shallows in tight schools, and churning up the mudflats as they feed.

Grey mullet supported one of New Zealand's very first commercial fisheries back in the 1880s, and they remain one of the most important inshore species today. Whether you're setting a net in the Kaipara, working the Manukau flats, or pulling a drag net on a Northland beach, understanding grey mullet will make you a better, more responsible fisher.

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About Grey Mullet (Mugil cephalus)

Grey mullet are a large, powerful inshore fish with a streamlined torpedo-shaped body, olive-green to blue-grey back, silver sides, and white belly. They grow up to 75–80 cm and can weigh over 4 kg in unfished areas (typically around 1 kg where fished regularly).

Found throughout New Zealand but most abundant in the northern half of the North Island, where 95% of the commercial catch is taken. Grey mullet are one of the world's most widespread fish species, found in subtropical and temperate waters globally.

They are detritivores — feeding by filtering and sifting through bottom sediments and surface ooze for organic material, diatom algae, and small invertebrates. This unique feeding method means they're found wherever there's soft, silty substrate to graze on.

The Life Cycle of a Grey Mullet

Grey mullet have a fascinating life cycle that takes them from the open ocean to fresh water and back again.

Stage 1: Eggs & Larvae (Summer)

Adult grey mullet form large schools and migrate offshore to spawn in coastal waters during the warmer months. In northern New Zealand, spawning occurs from November through February. A single female can release up to 1 million eggs in one spawning event. The eggs are tiny — just 0.75 mm in diameter — and float near the ocean surface. Larvae hatch after only 2–3 days, emerging at just 2–3 mm long.

Stage 2: Juvenile Life — Estuaries as Nurseries

After hatching at sea, the tiny larvae drift with ocean currents towards the coast. Post-larval grey mullet arrive seasonally in estuaries, which serve as critical nursery grounds. Juveniles settle in shallow, warm estuarine waters — mudflats, mangrove edges, and tidal creeks — where food is abundant and predators are fewer.

Young mullet initially feed on zooplankton until about 3 cm long, then switch to the bottom-feeding, filter-sifting diet that defines the species. They'll spend their first few years growing in these sheltered inshore waters.

Stage 3: Adulthood & the Freshwater Connection

Grey mullet are one of NZ's most adaptable fish. Adults are primarily marine but commonly move into rivers, streams, and even lakes — and some stay in fresh water permanently. Research using otolith (ear bone) chemistry has confirmed that some grey mullet enter freshwater and never return to the sea.

Males mature at about 3 years old (around 33 cm), females at 3–4 years (around 35 cm). Once mature, adults follow a seasonal pattern: feeding in estuaries and harbours through autumn and winter, then migrating offshore in summer to spawn.

How Long Do They Live?

In fished areas, grey mullet typically live up to 8 years and weigh around 1 kg. In unfished or lightly fished areas, they can live up to 19 years and exceed 4 kg. That's a remarkable lifespan for an inshore species — and a reminder of why sustainable fishing practices matter.

Where to Catch Grey Mullet

Grey mullet occur around most of coastal New Zealand, as far south as the Otago Peninsula. But if you want the best fishing, head north — the northern half of the North Island holds the highest densities by far.

Prime Habitat

Grey mullet love slow-moving water with soft, muddy or silty bottoms — exactly the kind of places where they can sift through sediment for food.

Best structure to look for:

• Harbour channels and tidal flats
• River mouths and estuaries (the classic mullet habitat)
• Mangrove-lined creeks and channels
• Mudflats and sand banks on incoming tides
• Slow-moving rivers and streams (they go surprisingly far upstream)
• Sheltered bays and embayments
• Wharf pilings and marina areas

Famous grey mullet spots include:

• Kaipara Harbour — one of NZ's top mullet grounds, massive tidal flats
• Manukau Harbour — excellent year-round mullet fishing
• Firth of Thames — key habitat on the east coast
• Rangaunu Bay — major Northland fishing ground
• Hokianga Harbour — productive west coast estuary
• Whangarei Harbour — reliable Northland spot
• Bay of Plenty estuaries — Tauranga Harbour, Ohiwa Harbour
• Raglan / Kāwhia harbours — west coast gems
• Waikato River — mullet travel well inland

Best Times to Fish

Grey mullet are most active on the incoming tide, moving onto flats and into shallows to feed. The last two hours of the incoming tide and first hour of the outgoing are prime time.

Best months: Grey mullet can be caught year-round, but autumn (March–May) is peak season. Fish are fat and feeding hard before winter, and schools are large and concentrated in estuaries. Summer fishing can be excellent too, though many adults move offshore to spawn.

Time of day: Grey mullet feed throughout the day but are most active in the early morning and late afternoon. Calm, overcast days tend to produce better results than bright, sunny conditions.

Pro tip: Watch the surface. Grey mullet are famous for their leaping — when you see fish jumping and splashing in an estuary, that's where you want your net. Schools can be spotted from elevated positions (bridges, hillsides) as dark shadows moving across the shallows.

Choosing the Right Net for Grey Mullet

Action Outdoors manufactures a full range of nets perfect for grey mullet fishing, all made right here in New Zealand.

Set Nets (Gill Nets)

The most productive method for grey mullet. A set net is positioned across a channel, tidal flat, or river mouth and left for the fish to swim into. Grey mullet gill perfectly in 100 mm mesh — the minimum legal size. Set your net on a rising tide across a known mullet run and check it regularly.

Tips for set netting mullet:

• Set across channels where mullet travel between feeding areas
• Position near river or creek mouths entering estuaries
• Use floating top rope to keep the net properly positioned
• Check frequently — mullet can drown in nets if left too long
• Best results on incoming tides, especially dawn and dusk

Our set nets come in 20m, 30m, 40m and 60m lengths with 100mm mesh — perfect for grey mullet:

• Set Net Mono Mesh Floating Top Rope (20m–60m) — Monofilament mesh, great all-rounder for mullet and flatfish.
• Set Net Multi-Mono Floating Top Rope (30m–60m) — Multi-mono mesh for extra durability and fish-holding ability.

👉 View all set nets →

Drag Nets (Beach Seine)

Drag nets can be hauled through shallow water to encircle schools of mullet on tidal flats and beaches. Effective when schools are visible in shallow water. A great active method for targeting mullet on the flats.

• NZ Made Beach Drag Nets (15m–40m) — Perfect for working shallow mullet grounds.

Commercial Mullet Nets

For commercial fishers, we manufacture purpose-built mullet nets designed for the demands of professional harvesting.

• 500m Commercial Mullet Fishing Net — Built for professional mullet operations.

Rod & Line

Grey mullet can also be caught on light tackle using bread, dough (flour and water), small pieces of prawn, or soft baits. Use a small float, tiny hooks (#8–12), and light line. Berley (ground bread or fish scraps) helps concentrate fish. It's a patient game — mullet are notoriously cautious biters.

When and Where Do Grey Mullet Breed?

Grey mullet spawn during the warmer months — November through February in northern New Zealand.

Adults form large, conspicuous schools and migrate from estuaries and harbours out to coastal waters to spawn. Running-ripe females have only been caught off coastal beaches or in offshore waters, confirming that spawning takes place at sea.

A single female can release up to 1 million eggs. The tiny eggs (0.75 mm) float near the surface and hatch in just 2–3 days. Larvae and post-larval fish then drift back towards the coast, settling in estuaries as nursery grounds.

Important note: Research suggests there may be different genetic groups of grey mullet around New Zealand, with potentially different spawning times and behaviours. This means mullet populations in different regions may have distinct life histories — an area of ongoing scientific study.

Grey mullet are in their best eating condition in autumn (March–May) when they're fat from summer feeding. By late summer, many adults are lean and depleted from spawning.

MPI Rules: What You Need to Know

Fishing rules are set by Fisheries New Zealand (part of MPI) and apply to all recreational fishers. Breaking them can result in fines up to $20,000.

Minimum Legal Size

Grey mullet: No minimum size. Unlike many other species, there is no legal minimum length for grey mullet.

Daily Catch Limits

• Auckland/Kermadec FMA: 20 grey mullet per person per day (within the combined 20 finfish limit)
• Central FMA: Within the combined 20 finfish daily limit
• South-East FMA: Within the combined 30 finfish daily limit

Net Rules for Recreational Fishers

Set Nets (Gill Nets):

• Minimum mesh size for grey mullet: 100 mm
• Maximum net length: 60 metres
• Must have a surface float at each end, marked with your surname, initials and phone number
• Must not be baited
• Only one set net per person (plus one bait net up to 10 m with ≤50 mm mesh)
• Nets must be at least 60 metres apart from other set nets
• Cannot block more than one quarter of any waterway
• Must not strand fish by the falling tide
• Nets can only be hauled by hand — no winches

Drag Nets:

• Maximum length: 40 metres
• Only one per person
• Must be hauled by hand

Set Net Bans & Restricted Areas

North Island West Coast (Māui Dolphin Protection): Set netting is banned from Maunganui Bluff to Pariokariwa Point, extending out to 7 nautical miles offshore. Additional bans in Kaipara, Waikato, Raglan and Manukau harbour entrances.

South Island East Coast (Hector's Dolphin Protection): Set netting banned out to 4 nautical miles along most of the east coast from Clarence Point to Slope Point.

Marine Reserves: No netting of any kind.

How to Stay Legal

1. Download the free NZ Fishing Rules app — it uses your GPS to show local rules
2. Text a species name to 9889 for a free rules reply
3. Visit mpi.govt.nz/fishingrules for full regional details
4. When in doubt, release the fish

A Fish Worth Protecting

Grey mullet — kanae — hold deep cultural significance for Māori. They are a taonga (treasured) species and a vital mahinga kai (food resource), particularly for iwi in Northland and Waikato. The annual kanae runs were traditionally a time of great importance, with communities gathering to harvest, preserve and share the fish.

Grey mullet have been commercially fished in New Zealand since the 1880s, making it one of our oldest commercial fisheries. But improved technologies and the fact that grey mullet live in easily accessible inshore areas have put pressure on populations, causing declines in some regions.

Today the fishery is managed under the Quota Management System (QMS), with a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) set for each management area. The northern grey mullet fishery (GMU 1) is the largest, worth $2–3 million per year.

As recreational fishers, we can help by following all MPI rules, using the correct mesh size, releasing unwanted fish promptly, and reporting any illegal netting activity.

Quick Reference

Detail	Grey Mullet
Māori name	Kanae
Scientific name	Mugil cephalus
Max size	75–80 cm
Max weight	4+ kg (unfished); ~1 kg (fished)
Legal min size	None
Daily limit	20 (Auckland FMA)
Min net mesh	100 mm
Maturity	3–4 years (33–35 cm)
Lifespan	Up to 19 years
Habitat	Estuaries, harbours, rivers, coastal
Spawning	November–February (at sea)
Best season	Autumn (March–May)
Diet	Detritus, algae, small invertebrates

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Action Outdoors is New Zealand's largest fishing net manufacturer, producing over 350,000 metres of ready-to-use nets every year from our factory in Auckland. Browse our full range of set nets, drag nets and commercial mullet nets →

Always check the latest MPI rules for your area before heading out: mpi.govt.nz/fishingrules

Sources: NIWA Taonga Species Series — Kanae; Fisheries New Zealand (GMU stock assessments); MPI Recreational Fishing Rules 2024/2025; FishBase — Mugil cephalus.