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Common Mullet; Striped Mullet
The common mullet is a fish of very wide distribution, occurring on the coasts of southern Europe and northern Africa, on the Atlantic Coast of America from Cape Cod to Brazil, and on our Pacific Coast from Monterey to Chile. It goes in great schools and is everywhere abundant in bays, lagoons, and all sheltered waters. It reaches a length of about 2 feet and is a food-fish of much importance. Although mullets of some species or other are found on every stretch of coast-line in the world in the temperate and tropical zones, it is probable that nowhere else in the world are they so abundant as on our own South Atlantic and Gulf coasts, with their broad margin of partially or entirely land-locked brackish waters, numerous estuaries and broad river-mouths. They abound in the Indian and St. John's rivers of Florida, frequently running up the latter at least to Lake George. Among the Florida Keys and on the west coast of Florida, as well as along the entire Gulf Coast they literally swarm in all suitable places. It is the most generally popular and most abundant food-fish on our southern seaboard. Its abundance puts it within the reach of everybody, blacks as well as whites. "How do you people live?" asked the invalid who had gone to Florida to escape the rigours of the New England winter. "Well, suh, the fac' is, boss," replied his old Negro guide, "in the summuh time we libs on de mullet and in the winter we libs mos'ly on de sick Yankee."
The mullet does not usually take the hook but is caught chiefly in seines, gillnets, or by means of cast-nets, enormous catches being sometimes made. In preparing the mullet for the table it may be either boiled, stewed, baked or fried. Large quantities are salted for local use or shipment north, and many barrels are shipped fresh to northern cities. The mullet roe is also considered a delicacy; and large quantities of mullets are used for bait in the various hand-line fisheries of our southern waters.
The mullet is a bottom-feeder and prefers still, shoal water with grassy and sandy or muddy bottom. It swims along the bottom, head down, now and then taking a mouthful of mud, which is partially culled over in the mouth, the microscopic particles of animal or vegetable matter retained, and the refuse expelled. When one fish finds a spot rich in the desired food, its companions immediately flock around in a manner reminding one of barn-yard fowls feeding from a dish. The mullet eats no fish or anything of any size, but is preyed upon by nearly all other common fishes larger than itself.
Colour, dark bluish above, sides silvery, with a conspicuous dark stripe along each row of scales; under parts pale yellowish; ventral fins yellowish, the other fins more or less dusky.