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 alge 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 
& 
Fic. 174.—Striped Mullet, Mugil cephalus (L.). Wood’s Hole, Mass. 
similarly but less valued. Unfortunately the kaku, or small 
barracuda (Sphyrena 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. Jugil 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 capito, 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 
