Mullet family

_{-- M u l l e t f a m i l y --} _{click on the question number for the answer}
Q 1.
	Do mullet spawn in fresh water?
Q 2.
	I wish to know how, and what bait to use to catch mullet in the Miami river. I have used shrimp and other bait so far without result.
Q 3.
	How far will a mullet swim?
Q 4.
	Does the mullet have teeth?
Q 5.
	Can mullet be caught on hook and line?
Q 6.
	What are the tiny minnowlike fishes with silver spots on the back? I saw a large school of them in shallow water at the beach and later several at the water surface under a dock.
Q 7.
	What is the “Mexican mullet?”
Q 8.
	Why do schools of mullet sometimes gulp air at the surface of the water?
Q 9.
	Since living in Florida I have caught one of the tagged mullet that members of the Marine Laboratory have put on. This type of tag is easy to see, but I was wondering how the internal tags are located that are used on herring?
Q 10.
	I am a newcomer to Florida and fishing is my favorite sport. While fishing in Biscayne Bay I have seen many schools of mullet, the same fishes I use for bait. I have heard it said that mullet is a delicious food fish. Can you tell me just what the uses and importance of these mullet are in Florida?
Q 11.
	When I visited Florida we fished for reef fishes with pieces of mullet. When I returned home a friend asked me if I had eaten any smoked mullet. Is this fish edible? I thought it was only used for bait.
Q 12.
	Although I have been a regular winter visitor to Florida for the last ten years, I had never eaten mullet until yesterday. It was delicious, and so was, the mullet roe that I had with the meal. Could you tell me how the roe is prepared?
Q 13.
	How far south in Florida do you find black mullet?
Q 14.
	On a recent trip through Florida, I was astounded to see people fishing in canals for mullet. This was my first encounter with sport fishing for this fish, and I am quite interested to learn whether or not this is a common practice, what kind of gear is used, the preferred bait and the best season for hook and line mullet fishing?
Q 15.
	Is mullet sold in food stores? How is it prepared?
Q 16.
	How can I tell the difference between black mullet and silver mullet?
Q 17.
	I have been puzzled by the erratic behavior of mullet in the autumn. At night, when a light is focused on them, they whirl in fast circles and flip and flop so that we can pick them up with our hands. Can you explain these actions?
Q 18.
	Why is not the common name of mullet changed to one which would be more attractive to the consumer?
Q 19.
	Can the sex of the mullet be ascertained by inspection of the fish?
Q 20.
	Can mullet be used in fish sticks, fish blocks, portions and frozen fillets? I understand that mullet are poor keepers under any conditions.
Q 21.
	Mullet along the Gulf Coast at this time of the year are heavy with roe, and some of these roe are yellow and some white. Will you explain the difference? Last winter at Fort Lauderdale, Florida, fishermen along the beach were catching sand fleas in what they called flea traps. Do you know of anyone in Florida making these traps?
Q 22.
	A few days ago some mullet fishermen were talking about “mullet gizzards” and I thought they were pulling my leg. However, one of the men opened a mullet and showed me a gizzard-like organ he had removed from the mullet's interior. What is this organ and what is its function?
Q 23.
	On a recent trip to West End, Grand Bahama, I had the unusual experience of observing a pure albino mullet running with a school of normal mullet along the shore. Since then I have spoken of this to several people, none of whom has ever heard of an albino mullet. Is this a rarity?
Q 24.
	In the April issue of Sea Secrets it was stated that "mullet spawn in deep water, miles off the coastline." In Doerer Lake, thirty miles from the Atlantic Ocean on the St. Johns River, I have taken young mullet less than an inch in length. Is this normal?
Q 25.
	When mullet are migrating along the coast, where are they going and where have they come from? Do they return to their original place of departure?
Q 26.
	I would be quite interested to know the difference between the red roe and the white roe in mullet. I cannot believe the local story that red roe is from the female and white roe is from the male.
Q 27.
	In my morning swims in the Gulf two things have aroused my curiosity. When the surf isn't too high, schools of mullet seem to be surfing in the waves, swimming with their heads almost out of the water. What are they doing? And second, about the coquina shells we gather to make a delicious broth: as they grow do they discard their shells? and how are they reproduced?
Q 28.
	Is there any credence to the story that Florida mullet jump and land ungracefully on first one side and then the other to expel fecal matter?
Q 29.
	I have heard that the black mullet is classified as a fowl instead of a fish. Is this true?
Q 30.
	We would like to catch finger mullet in the creek in front of our house for use as bait. The water is about 7 feet deep. What do you recommend as the best method?
Q 31.
	Why do mullets (Mugil spp.) jump?


_{-- a n s w e r s a b o u t t h e M u l l e t f a m i l y --}
	Q&A 1.	Do mullet spawn in fresh water?
	Probably not. The spawning habits of the mullet (Mugilidae) are still unknown to biologists, but it is probable that this takes place in the sea and not in fresh water. Mullet frequently ascend rivers and streams during rainy spells and occasionally may be found in land-locked lakes. On the approach of the breeding season, the roe-laden mullet work their way downstream into the sea and in all probability move out into deep water to lay their eggs. Although mullet approximately an inch longer appear in large numbers sometime later, specimens smaller than this have not been identified as yet.
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	Q&A 2.	I wish to know how, and what bait to use to catch mullet in the Miami river. I have used shrimp and other bait so far without result.
	The mullet (Mugil) is a euryhaline fish, meaning that it is found in both fresh and salt water. Its normal food is algae, or tiny green plants, which it sifts from the bottom muds. In salt water, mullet will not ordinarily take a hook, but in fresh and brackish water they are often caught on hooks using bread balls or small pieces of cotton soaked in liver. Fish worms are also reported to be good mullet bait, and in Cuba, this fish is said to be caught on hooks baited with avocado pear.
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	Q&A 3.	How far will a mullet swim?
	The Marine Laboratory of the University of Miami has been interested in this question for several years, and through studies carried on at the lab and in the field, a partial answer to this query is already available. Since 1949 scientists have been tagging the black mullet, Mugil cephalus, to discover its migration routes. This tagging involves attaching two small plastic disks to the fish. One of the disks has printed on it a serial number; the other has certain instructions for the return of the fish. About 6,000 fish have been tagged and released, and many of them have been recaptured many miles from the place of release. Among those which have been recaptured is a mullet twelve inches in length which made a trip from Jacksonville Beach to Miami, a distance of no less than 350 miles, during the 95 days that it was at large.
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	Q&A 4.	Does the mullet have teeth?
	Although it has very small bristle-like teeth in its jaws, for all practical purposes the mullet (Mugil) is toothless. This fish normally feeds on small green plants which it strains from the bottom muds, expelling the sand grains from its gills. In spite of this usual vegetarian diet, mullet will also eat fish worms, bread, and sometimes cut shrimp when in brackish or fresh water, and under these conditions it will take the hook. Young mullet reared in aquaria will feed on chopped spinach and brine shrimp.
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	Q&A 5.	Can mullet be caught on hook and line?
	Although the mullet normally feeds on algae (microscopic plant matter it strains from sand and mud on the sea bottom) and seldom if ever will take a hook in salt water, it will for some reason often bite on a hook baited with dough, bread, shrimp, or avocado pear in fresh water. Most mullet are euryhaline, or able to tolerate water of any degree of salinity from salt to fresh, and frequently ascend streams along the Florida coast.
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	Q&A 6.	What are the tiny minnowlike fishes with silver spots on the back? I saw a large school of them in shallow water at the beach and later several at the water surface under a dock. Miami Beach, Florida
	From your description it appears quite certain that the fish you saw were baby mullet of some species. When very small, these fish have bright silvery spots in the center of the back, but these spots soon disappear as the fish grow larger. These silver-spotted mullet are the smallest stage that has been observed so far, since the exact time and place where mullet spawn is not known with certainty, although this is believed to take place in deeper water.
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	Q&A 7.	What is the “Mexican mullet?”
	This is one of the popular names given to two species of small mullet-like fish occasionally found about the Florida Keys and the Gulf coast of Florida. These fishes (which are not actually mullet, but appear to be related to them) reach a length of about a foot, and have the small mouth located beneath the rounded snout, as in a bonefish (Albula). Their most distinctive feature is the presence of seven or eight filaments resembling threads, located in front of the pectoral fin.
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	Q&A 8.	Why do schools of mullet sometimes gulp air at the surface of the water?
	The exact reason for this is not known, but there are two possible answers for this type of behavior. First, mullet feed principally on small marine plants (algae), some of which may at times become concentrated in a thin layer or film at the water surface. Secondly, the water with the greatest oxygen concentration is found at the surface, and a densely-packed school of mullet may at times find it necessary to obtain an additional supply of oxygen. Because mullet frequently "gulp air" in very clear or flowing water, it appears likely that the first explanation is the better one.
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	Q&A 9.	Since living in Florida I have caught one of the tagged mullet that members of the Marine Laboratory have put on. This type of tag is easy to see, but I was wondering how the internal tags are located that are used on herring? Ft. Myers, Florida
	The internal tags are inserted into the central body cavity of the fish through a small incision. The tags bear numbers and are used to study growth, migration and to obtain other information about the fish. In factories where the herring are canned the fish pass over a continuous conveyor belt as they move to the place where they are to be processed. Fish with tags are located by means of powerful magnets mounted above the moving belt. The magnets automatically open trap doors which drop the tagged fish into a special compartment where the tag may be removed.
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	Q&A 10.	I am a newcomer to Florida and fishing is my favorite sport. While fishing in Biscayne Bay I have seen many schools of mullet, the same fishes I use for bait. I have heard it said that mullet is a delicious food fish. Can you tell me just what the uses and importance of these mullet are in Florida?
	Florida mullet are both a food fish and, to a much less important extent, bait fish. Two kinds of mullet are caught; one (the silver mullet) is more often used as bait, while the other (black mullet) is primarily a food fish, and contrary to the general opinion in south Florida, a food fish of high quality. About thirty million pounds of black mullet are caught each year in Florida, along with two and one half million pounds of silver mullet. The average price paid to fishermen is about $ .07 per pound, so the yearly income to fisherman is over two million dollars. Mullet is a fat fish, like salmon and mackerel, and is best broiled or fried.
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	Q&A 11.	When I visited Florida we fished for reef fishes with pieces of mullet. When I returned home a friend asked me if I had eaten any smoked mullet. Is this fish edible? I thought it was only used for bait. Detroit, Michigan
	While the mullet is commonly used for bait because of its widespread availability, by far the largest part of the mullet caught in Florida is eaten. Over 30 million pounds are caught in Florida annually. This delicious fish is preferred by many people to such fish as pompano, mackerel, snapper and sea trout. Mullet is not well known north of the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee, since most of the mullet caught in Florida are shipped fresh to these areas, with few being shipped beyond these points. However, mullet is becoming more popular with people who have eaten them fresh, frozen and especially smoked.
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	Q&A 12.	Although I have been a regular winter visitor to Florida for the last ten years, I had never eaten mullet until yesterday. It was delicious, and so was, the mullet roe that I had with the meal. Could you tell me how the roe is prepared? Chicago, Illinois
	Dried mullet roe is prepared to a limited extent along the southeastern coast of the United States, from North Carolina to Florida. The unbroken roe bags are placed in tubs where they are either sprinkled with salt or soaked in strong brine. About 5 quarts of salt are added to each 100 pounds of roe. Too much salt will cause the egg sacks to break. After the roes have remained in the brine for 10 to 12 hours, they arc drained and spread on boards in the sun to dry. They are taken in each night to prevent their becoming wet by dew. During fair weather the drying process requires about a week. The finished product varies in color from a yellowish brown to a dark red. When the drying process is completed, the roe may be dipped in a mixture of melted beeswax and paraffin and held for a considerable period of time at room temperature. It can be kept for much longer periods under refrigeration at 40° to 50° F. The mixture of 50% wax and 50% paraffin prevents further loss of moisture in the preserved roe. In some cases, this product has been smoked with a cool smoke immediately after brining. Only a very light smoke is used for approximately 30 minutes at just sufficient heat to burn the sawdust. This adds to the keeping quality and flavor of the final product.
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	Q&A 13.	How far south in Florida do you find black mullet? Panama City, Florida
	The black mullet, Mugil cephalus, has been reported by Jordan and Thompson as fairly common in the winter months in the Tortugas. They were observed at times congregating in uncountable numbers on the shoal north of Garden Key.
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	Q&A 14.	On a recent trip through Florida, I was astounded to see people fishing in canals for mullet. This was my first encounter with sport fishing for this fish, and I am quite interested to learn whether or not this is a common practice, what kind of gear is used, the preferred bait and the best season for hook and line mullet fishing? Newark, New Jersey
	Hook and line fishing for mullet in Florida is an old fishery although it is not a common practice among regular sport fishermen. There are a number of gears used in this fishery, but the most common is the cane pole with a line about the length of the pole. A small bobber or cork, a short monofilament type leader and sometimes a split shot is used toward the terminal end of the leader. Usually a No.6 or No.8 hook is used. A successful refinement of sport fishing for mullet has been the use of spinning rods and reels, using the same type of terminal gear described. Bait for catching mullet varies with the fishermen. Generally a dough bait is used, and at times earthworms may be used. In areas where mullet seem to tie feeding on moss, moss may be used successfully. Fresh bread squeezed into a hard ball is used effectively. Florida has a long coastline and the seasonal migrations of mullet vary from one section to another. However, as a general statement it may be said that when mullet migrate to fresh water in large schools, sport fishing for mullet will then become effective. A few years ago, it was known that some fisherman actually caught over 50 pounds of mullet a day during the run of the Wakulla River in Northwest Florida. This was not a common practice, but it does point up to the fact that fishing for mullet in fresh water provides excellent sport as well as a direct reward since these fish are delicious either fried or baked. Mullet caught with hook and like may vary in size from half a pound to 7 pounds. They are fairly good fighters, making long, strong runs, but seldom, of ever, breaking water. Practically all of the mullet caught by hook and line are taken in fresh and brackish waters, although some may be caught in the seas.
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	Q&A 15.	Is mullet sold in food stores? How is it prepared? Chicago, Illinois
	Yes, mullet frequently is sold in food stores. It can be purchased fresh and is regarded by many people as one of Florida's best fish, as well as the state's most abundant food fish. Like pompano, it is a fat fish and must be fresh to taste its best. Mullet is also frequently smoked and has been considered a delicacy on the west coast of Florida and elsewhere in this form for many years. At present; at least two packers distribute frozen fillets of mullet.
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	Q&A 16.	How can I tell the difference between black mullet and silver mullet? Ormond Beach, Florida
	The head of the black mullet is noticeably wider than the head of the silver mullet and the tail fin of the black mullet is deeply forked, while that of the silver mullet is only slightly forked. Also, the black mullet has dark longitudinal stripes running along the scale rows; such stripes are not present on the silver mullet. The silver mullet has small scales on the soft dorsal and anal fins which are not present on these fins of the black mullet. The silver mullet is usually smaller than the black mullet. None of these criteria are foolproof, however, and some experience is necessary to be sure of the identification.
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	Q&A 17.	I have been puzzled by the erratic behavior of mullet in the autumn. At night, when a light is focused on them, they whirl in fast circles and flip and flop so that we can pick them up with our hands. Can you explain these actions? Fort Lauderdale, Florida
	In the autumn, mullet congregate in preparation for the offshore spawning run of December and January. At such times, it is not unusual to see entire schools of mullet cruising the shorelines with their heads out of water. Probably they are either straining the water for food, or they are short of oxygen. There are usually many reports of mullet kills along the east coast of Florida during the fall. In most instances, the kills are caused by a shortage of oxygen. If the oxygen depletion is sufficient to cause distress although insufficient to kill, the mullet may display erratic behavior. The leaping habits of mullet have not yet been completely explained. However, it is logical to assume that such jumping fish, when frightened by a light, may become blinded temporarily and jump or swim in an erratic manner.
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	Q&A 18.	Why is not the common name of mullet changed to one which would be more attractive to the consumer? Grand Bay, Alabama
	Changing the common name of mullet in order to enhance its appeal to a wider segment of the population has been discussed among members of the fishing industry, research agencies, and various government officials. So far there has been no progress made in this direction because of a number of barriers, both natural and legal. Common usage in the past is the basis for the acceptable common name. "Black mullet" is used more widely in the southern states, while the popular name in other sections is "striped mullet." A substitute name, therefore, would have to be impressed upon people who purchase the fish and who know the fish as mullet. It is difficult to accustom the consumer to such a change. In addition, two Federal agencies, the Food and Drug Administration and the Fair Practices Commission, have the authority to approve name changes. If a new name is selected for the purposes of deriving increased sales and prices and is similar to the name of a popular product, this might be and would be construed as a fraudulent act and, in all probability, would result in some legal action. In the event the new name does not fall into this category, the agencies might order a cessation of its use until the name has been reviewed and approved (or disapproved) by the Common Names Committee of the American Fisheries Society. This non-governmental committee consists of members from the United States and Canada.
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	Q&A 19.	Can the sex of the mullet be ascertained by inspection of the fish? Delray Beach, Florida
	There is no known way to identify the sex of mullet externally. It is necessary to cut the fish open and examine the gonads. Even so, differences between the sexes are difficult to determine except when the fish are nearly mature. Generally, in the male the gonad is strap-like while in the female it is round. Very young fishes are almost impossible to sex unless histological sections are prepared for study under the microscope.
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	Q&A 20.	Can mullet be used in fish sticks, fish blocks, portions and frozen fillets? I understand that mullet are poor keepers under any conditions. St. Petersburg, Florida
	To find new uses and outlets for mullet is just what this fishery needs to improve quality and stabilize production and demand. A small experiment was made by the Marine Laboratory of Miami with mullet fish sticks. They were compared with other commercially available products, made mainly from ground northern fish, and in some aspects the mullet was preferred. The big drawback to the use of mullet for fish sticks is the high oil content of the fish. This oil is of such a nature (unsaturated) that it becomes rancid in a short time. Based on promising results obtained from the experiments to control rancidity in mullet fillets, it would seem that the rancidity in fish sticks made with mullet can be reduced to some extent.
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	Q&A 21.	Mullet along the Gulf Coast at this time of the year are heavy with roe, and some of these roe are yellow and some white. Will you explain the difference? Last winter at Fort Lauderdale, Florida, fishermen along the beach were catching sand fleas in what they called flea traps. Do you know of anyone in Florida making these traps? New Orleans, Louisiana
	During the mullet spawning season throughout the southeastern United States, red roe is the female gonad or ovary and the white "roe" is the male testis. You will notice that large red roe contains small eggs. The roe itself is circular in cross sections. White roe, when fully developed, is somewhat triangular in cross section, and contains a thick white fluid, known as milt. This milt contains millions of sperm cells that are expelled by the males directly into the sea in the vicinity of the spawning female mullet, thus fertilizing the eggs. The flea traps you mention are common contrivances wherever the crustaceans known as sand fleas are plentiful. They are, essentially, a long-tined rake with a basket or cloth bag attached. This is dragged through the sand just at the water line on the beach. The rake tines dislodge the sand fleas and the bag scoops them up like a cranberry scoop. These sand flea traps are made by the users. They should not be difficult to make or have made up. No stores sell or advertise them, to our knowledge.
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	Q&A 22.	A few days ago some mullet fishermen were talking about “mullet gizzards” and I thought they were pulling my leg. However, one of the men opened a mullet and showed me a gizzard-like organ he had removed from the mullet's interior. What is this organ and what is its function? St. Augustine Beach, Florida
	The gizzard of the mullet represents an enlargement of the posterior (pyloric) end of the stomach. The enlargement is due to the massiveness of the muscular layer that surrounds this portion of the stomach. This organ is a grinding mill and so it is entirely comparable to the gizzard of birds, although it is not formed from the identical portion of the stomach. A number of other fishes show enlargements of the anterior part of the digestive tract for comparable reasons. Several examples may be listed, such as the gizzard shads of fresh water and the family that includes the butterfishes, the man-o-war fishes and their allies.
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	Q&A 23.	On a recent trip to West End, Grand Bahama, I had the unusual experience of observing a pure albino mullet running with a school of normal mullet along the shore. Since then I have spoken of this to several people, none of whom has ever heard of an albino mullet. Is this a rarity? Canterbury, Connecticut
	Albino fishes are not uncommon in some species, but because of the obvious disadvantage of being white-colored, the albinos are usually eaten by predators rather quickly. They occur most frequently in populations living where predation is low (e.g., in swamps or springs) or in species that have no real enemies, such as gars. For some reason albino mullets are frequent. It is not an unusual experience to find a pale-colored fish along the western section of the Tamiami Canal in South Florida. Of course, there are not many fishes in the canals to take a sizeable mullet. A full albino would be more rare, and one in a group off West End, where there are many large predators, is certainly remarkable.
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	Q&A 24.	In the April issue of Sea Secrets it was stated that "mullet spawn in deep water, miles off the coastline." In Doerer Lake, thirty miles from the Atlantic Ocean on the St. Johns River, I have taken young mullet less than an inch in length. Is this normal? Jacksonville, Florida
	Available evidence indicates mullet spawn over deep ocean water offshore. While small they move into shallow bays, rivers and lagoons. By the time mullet are an inch long they may be a month old or more. They could be swept into the St. Johns River by tidal currents and swim beyond the upper reach of the tides to the area you mentioned. Moreover, there are several species of mullet in this region; they may vary in their life histories.
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	Q&A 25.	When mullet are migrating along the coast, where are they going and where have they come from? Do they return to their original place of departure? West Palm Beach, Florida
	During the 1950s biologists at Miami's Institute of Marine Science conducted large-scale tagging of the Florida black or striped mullet, Mugil cephalus. The results are interesting for several reasons, one being that east and west Florida populations have different migration habits and different behavior patterns. Tagging on the west Florida coast showed that 70.3 percent of the animals tagged and recovered over a 5 year period were re-captured within five miles of the original tagging location; 90.6 percent had migrated less than 20 miles; 95.5 percent had moved less than 50 miles; and only 2.1 percent migrated over 100 -miles. These studies indicated that west coast populations are intimately associated with particular bays and estuaries and that there is only a small amount of intermingling between bay populations. You may be interested to know that the spotted seatrout of west Florida are similarly non-migratory and are even more closely tied to particular bay systems than the mullet. Some east coast mullet, on the other hand, exhibited considerably longer migrations, up to 350 miles. Perhaps this is a result of the wider spacing of inlets to the lagoons on the east coast. Where they come from and where they go on the "annual" migrations along shore is not known, nor is it known why they perform such movements.
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	Q&A 26.	I would be quite interested to know the difference between the red roe and the white roe in mullet. I cannot believe the local story that red roe is from the female and white roe is from the male. Crawfordville, Florida
	The local story is correct. Red roe is the reddish eggs of female mullet when they are still enclosed in the ovarian membranes and surrounded by the blood vascular system. "White roe" is really the testes, milt, or soft roe of the male mullet and may vary from small whitish strips to a round organ that fills the body cavity.
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	Q&A 27.	In my morning swims in the Gulf two things have aroused my curiosity. When the surf isn't too high, schools of mullet seem to be surfing in the waves, swimming with their heads almost out of the water. What are they doing? And second, about the coquina shells we gather to make a delicious broth: as they grow do they discard their shells? and how are they reproduced? Port Aransas, Texas
	Mullet have been described as engaging in many types of unusual behavior, including swimming upside down. Further observation of the behavior you describe would be necessary before an explanation could be given. Coquina do not discard their shells as they grow. These molluscs have a thin mantle that secretes a limy shell which increases in size as the animal grows. The coquina is oviparous and passes through planktonic larval stages which, in some species, last about 2 weeks.
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	Q&A 28.	Is there any credence to the story that Florida mullet jump and land ungracefully on first one side and then the other to expel fecal matter? Tampa, Florida
	The query concerning the jumping habits of mullet is one that has been made many times, but so far as we know has never been fully answered. There are several possible answers. One is that, in attempting to dislodge the irritation of parasites that are attached to their skin, some fishes are known to swim violently and often jump free of the water. It is more likely, however, that the jumping is simply "the nature of the beast" and is the result of fright or playfulness. Certainly, the habit of swimming near the surface and jumping to escape capture from below is not rare, as seen among flyingfishes, halfbeaks, and various freshwater fishes. In answer to your question, we have not found any reference in the scientific literature indicating that mullet jump to expel fecal matter.
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	Q&A 29.	I have heard that the black mullet is classified as a fowl instead of a fish. Is this true? Fort Pierce, Florida
	The striped mullet Mugil cephalus, known in some areas as the black mullet, was once ruled by a Florida court to be a fowl, and not a fish, because of the presence of a "gizzard." The court's decision did free a fisherman from a charge of fishing out of season, but the ruling has no scientific validity. Most species of mullets have a highly modified muscular stomach that grinds their food before it starts through a very long digestive tract. In fact, a 7-foot-long digestive tract in a 13-inch mullet is not unusual. The gizzard-like stomach occurs in some other fishes, too, such as sturgeons of the genus Acipenser, and the gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum.
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	Q&A 30.	We would like to catch finger mullet in the creek in front of our house for use as bait. The water is about 7 feet deep. What do you recommend as the best method? Middleburg, Florida
	There is general agreement among long-time fishermen that a cast net is the best method of securing fresh finger mullet for bait. Gill nets can be useful, too, but many of the fish are killed too soon to allow retrieval of the net just once a day. Also, there are regulations governing the use of such nets, and these may vary from county to county. In water as deep as 7 feet (2.1 meters), the use of a very heavily leaded cast net with a very lightweight mesh to allow rapid sinking is recommended. Also, it is wise to avoid casting with the sun at your back, because the slightest shadow on the water will scatter the mullet.
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	Q&A 31.	Why do mullets (Mugil spp.) jump? Covington, Louisiana
	This question is one that has been asked many times but, to the best of our knowledge, has never been definitively answered. The most likely answer is that jumping is simply "the nature of the fish" and is the result of fright or playfulness. Certainly, the habit of swimming near the surface and jumping to escape predators below is seen among many fishes, including flyingfishes, halfbeaks, and various freshwater fishes.
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	Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science Library University of Miami, FL USA 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, Florida 33149 Phone: 305 421 4060 Fax: 305 421 9306 E-mail: libcirc@rsmas.miami.edu		go to the top