The Channel Fishes 319 



BAIT FISHES 



For the information of anglers who would 

 like to know something of the small fishes used 

 for bait, their names at least, I think it not out 

 of place to mention them here. The mullet is 

 one of the fishes most frequently utilized. There 

 are several species belonging to the family 

 Mugilidce : the common mullet (Mugil cephalus\ 

 the white mullet (Mugil curema), both of which 

 are abundant in Florida, especially the first 

 named. There is a somewhat rare species along 

 the coasts, but common at Key West, the fan- 

 tail mullet (Mugil trichodon}. A very abun- 

 dant but very small species, and one that makes 

 a capital bait for fishes with small mouths, is the 

 whirligig mullet (Querimana gyrans). 



There are several species of sardines belong- 

 ing to the herring family (Clupeida). They may 

 be found in all bays along the coasts, going in 

 and out of the inlets with the tide. The most 

 common species are the silver sardine (Sardi- 

 nella humeralis], which has a dark spot at the 

 base of the pectoral fin, and the striped sardine 

 (Sardinella sardina), which has faint streaks 

 along the sides. 



The anchovies belong to the family Engrauli- 



