37 2 A ME RICA N FISHES. 



of the eggs and fry. Before spawning Mullet are very fat, but after the 

 operation are extremely thin and worthless for food. Their colors also 

 undergo some changes, at sea being bright blue on the back, which 

 deepens to a light brown in the bays and to a dark brown in fresh water. 

 By these characteristics it is not difficult to determine the locality where a 

 lot of Mullet are caught. 



" Some persons of this coast agree that Mullet, or any other sea-fish, will 

 not bear sudden change from salt to fresh water, and to meet this argu- 

 ment I made an experiment with Mullet in 1879. I took a dozen or more 

 medium-sized Mullet from the warm shoal water of the bay and placed 

 them in cool, fresh spring water. They swam around very rapidly for 

 about half an hour, then sank to the bottom of the spring, where they 

 remained, apparently comfortable, for twelve hours. Before leaving the 

 spring I returned them to their native waters, seemingly in as good con- 

 dition as when first caught. The bay water was at that time 77 F. and 

 the spring water 71 ° F., a difference of 6° and a change from pure salt 

 to pure fresh water. 



' ; After spawning, in October and November, the Mullet leaves these 

 bays in small schools, going directly to deep water if the weather is 

 stormy, and following the beach along if there is not much surf. Those 

 that have been in the bays all the summer leave also at about this time, 

 many of them having spawned at the same time with the full ' run.' A 

 few of these, having just reached maturity, are found with spawn nearly 

 all winter; also, some young stragglers. In February, March, and 

 April young Mullet, varying from one to two and a half inches long, are 

 found in great abundance along the bay shores. Mullet grow to about 

 eight inches in length the first year, to twelve or thirteen inches the second 

 year, when they are mature. The average size of adults is twelve inches 

 in length, weightabout one and a quarter pounds. The largest I have seen 

 measured twenty inches long and weighed four and a half pounds. It was 

 caught at Charlotte Harbor, Fla. Mullet of that size are extremely rare 

 in West Florida. Those of South Florida are much larger, as a rule, than 

 those found further north. There they are also far more abundant than 

 on the coasts of West Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and 

 Texas. 



" In October, Charlotte Harbor, Sarasota and Palmasola Bays, seem to be 

 the headquarters of all the Mullet of the Gulf. Tampa Bay, Anclote 



