THE MULLET FAMILY. 75 



half-a-dozen other common-names in various localities ; this 

 being the cause of a great deal of popular confusion and mis- 

 apprehension in regard to them. 



The Sea Mullet is the largest, as well as the most 

 important, of all our Mullets. This fine species inhabits, if 

 not the whole, nearly the entire coast of Australia. In 

 addition it is found at Lord Howe Island, the New 

 Hebrides, the Sand\vich Islands and other localities. On 

 our eastern seaboard, it is very abundant, from Victoria to 

 at least as high up as Central Queensland. In New South 

 Wales, Queensland and Victoria, many thousands of baskets 

 of this fish are disposed of as food, annually. During a re- 

 cent year in New South Wales alone nearly 45,000 baskets 

 of Mullet principally Sea Mullet were received for dis- 

 posal at the various Fish Markets. The average basket of 

 Mullet contains about 75 pounds weight; and, if we cal- 

 culate the fish at an average of one pound weight each, we 

 find that we have the imposing total of 3,375,000 individuals. 

 In addition to these, of course large numbers were dis- 

 posed of at various centres and in country districts, without 

 ever having passed through any recognised market. These 

 would greatly augment the numbers given. I furnish the 

 foregoing statistics with a view of showing the reader whut 

 a valuable asset is this fish and of giving some idea as to 

 its potentialities. 



This species inhabits in great abundance the muddy 

 bottoms of all the harbours, and lakes, and the lower parts 

 of all the rivers lying within the area of its habitat ; even 

 occurring to a lesser extent in the fresh-water portions 

 of many of the coastal rivers in New South Wales. 



It is unfortunate that such an important food-fish as 

 this, should be known in the two principal and neighbour- 

 ing States, by different names. In Victoria it is known as 

 "Sand Mullet," a name which we, in New South Wales, 

 more judiciously apply to the Mullet which is also known 

 as Tallegalane or Lano (Myxus elongatus). As in a 

 number of other fishes, so in this, various names are applied 

 at different stages of growth. In New South Wales, the 

 young up to about 8 inches in length (2 years old) are 

 often termed "Bullv" or "River" Mullet : above this size 



