In the Western Atlantic it ranges from Argentina to Cape Cod and rarely even up to Nova Scotia.

[2] The white mullet is found along sandy coasts and in littoral pools, but also occurs in brackish lagoons and estuaries on muddy substrates and sometimes even in rivers.

[2] In the US, owing to their small size (less than 12 in (300 mm)), white mullet are primarily used for bait.

Adult white and striped mullet consume the mud found on the bottom of estuarine waters, digesting the algae, plankton, and plant and animal detritus therein.

They are an important part of the ecologies of estuarine and coastal waters of the Gulf and Atlantic coasts of America.