Percesoces and Rhegnopteri 221 



The young mullet feed in schools and often swim with the 

 head at the surface of the water. 



We are not able to distinguish from the common striped 

 mullet of Europe and America the mullet of Hawaii, the famous 

 Ama-ama, the most valued of Hawaiian fishes. This species 

 is reared in mullet ponds, made by extending a stone wall 

 across an arm of the sea. Through openings in the wall the 

 young mullet enter, and in its protection they grow very fat on 

 the abundant algae and other vegetation. They thus become 

 the most plentiful and most esteemed of the market fishes 

 of Honolulu. The Awa (Chanos) and the Awa-awa (Elops) 

 also enter these ponds and are reared with the mullet, being 



FIG. 174. Striped Mullet, Mugil cephalus (L.). Wood's Hole, Mass. 



similarly but less valued. Unfortunately the kaku, or small 

 barracuda (Sphyrana helleri), also enters with these helpless 

 fishes and destroys many of the smaller individuals. Another 

 striped species, also very similar to Mugil cephalus in appearance 

 and value, in fact indistinguishable from the Hawaiian mullet, 

 abounds in Japan and India. 



The white or unstriped mullets are generally smaller, but 

 otherwise differ little. Mugil curema is the white mullet of 

 tropical America, ranging occasionally northward, and several 

 other species occur in the West Indies and the Mediterranean. 

 The genus Mugil has the eye covered by thick transparent 

 tissue called the adipose eyelid. In Liza the adipose eyelid is 

 wanting. Liza capita, the big-headed mullet of the Mediterra- 

 nean, is a well-known species. Most of the mullets of the south 

 seas belong to the genus Liza, Liza melinoptera and Liza 



