136 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



there are more of the latter coming into the business. Mullet fishing is 

 largely on the increase. 



In shipping the fish from the fishing station, ice is used, which is 

 taken from Cedar Keys. 



Off Charlotte Harbor, Florida, January 29, 1884. 



MULLET FISHERY AT LA COSTA IN CHAKLOTTE HARBOR. 



This fishing station consists of 23 men, mostly Spaniards, who came 

 from Key West. Their catch goes to Cuba. The outfit is made up at 

 Key West. The seine is 90 fathoms long and 20 feet deep. The fish- 

 eries commence in August, and close about the first week in February. 

 The mullet are split down the belly, the eyes cut out, and rough salted, 

 and are shipped in this condition to Havana. The roes are prepared 

 as at Cedar Keys. Last year the yield at this place was 1,500 quintals, 

 but for this season the catch has been very small, the fishermen believ- 

 ing that the unusual cold weather has kept back the fish. The men 

 work on shares, the owner of boat and net taking one-third. The fish 

 are worth in Cuba $3 a quintal and the roes $G. The fish begin spawn- 

 ing in December. 



There is another fishing ranch for mullet on the same island, and 

 one at Puuta Eassa. All of them have done a poor business this sea- 

 sea. The general outfit for boats, nets, stores, &c., cost $3,000. 



Charlotte Harbor, January 30, 1884. 



HABITS OF THE MULLET, CHARLOTTE HARBOR, FLORIDA. 



Mullet are found all the year round, but the season for catching be- 

 gins in August. Then they are very fat, but roes not yet well devel- 

 oped. At the close of November and during December they are the 

 fullest with roe. There are mullet which remain in Charlotte Harbor 

 all the year round ; they are small, and will average from three-quarters 

 of a pound to one pound. What are called ocean mullet come in No- 

 vember and December. Generally the wind is from the southwest when 

 they enter the harbor, or just before a norther is coming. The fish 

 then will average from 1^ to 2 pounds, with occasional fish of from 

 3 to 5 pounds. Small or young mullet are not found in Charlotte 

 Harbor — so says Mr. T. A. Gibuey. My informant, however, has 

 found exceedingly small mullet, evidently the young fish, at Saint 

 Joseph's Bay, Calhoun County, Florida. They were so small that many 

 hundreds of them could be taken out of the water with the hands. It 

 is generally the opinion of the fishermen that the farther south the 

 mullet is caught the larger it is, and that off Cape Romano the biggest 

 fish are taken. 



Charlotte Harbor, off Josepha Key, January 31, 1884. 



