MALATAN riSHBS. 



" There are five or dilJerent species. 

 '* The? most eonimou species is possibly Atherina tent- 

 mi ft iki (ilkeker). 



Tliey are known us * pejs&td&s re if ' or fishes of the 

 king, miwjiff the SpiinianU. 



" They itif greatly valued ha food. Tlie youn/r are termed 

 white Imit. The method of catching is ivsuftlfy by seiD© or 

 corral. A profitaJde imliistry coitid be built up by preparing 

 therf fi?h in a good sttuce, by piekliu*? them with apices, or by 

 (Iryiiijsr. They fthound at all soflsons.'* 



OREY MULLETS, 



[MUOfUDAE.) 



The tjrey Mullet are a widely distributed and very iTuportant 

 fniiiily, Tliey iiiliBbit shallow water in tlie seas, estuaries and 

 river.^ &nd none are kiimvn to ol-cut in very deep water. 



Their habit of keeping tt> the shaliow!*, in large shoaU, renders 

 their eaptare, in ciicloeares, which dry out at low tide, and in 

 mullet nets, an ert&v nmtter. As there are no.re.strietious as to size 

 and no elose season, ninllet are getting scflreer every year in 

 italayan waters. 



Grey Mullet feed, more or less, on the organic matter fonnd in 

 nnid and they are pmiliar among fi^li in that thcj have a true 

 g\z'/4\T{\, lined witli & thick homy epitheliimi. 



Mullet are very common and highly appreeiated in Australia. 

 Stead' writes: 



During a rceent year in New South Walee alone 45,000 

 baskets of Mullet— principally 8ea Mullet — were received for 

 ditjpojsal at the various fish markets, Tlie average basket ol 

 Mullet enntains aljoiit 75 jwuuU woighti and, if we calculate 

 the fish i\t an avi>rao:e of one iwund weight each, we lind that 

 we have tlie imposijig total of 3,375,(100 indiviihials." 



In Xew South Wales; MallGt may only l>p netted at certain 

 times iijifl at t^ertain places, and there h a legal limit as to size us 

 with all vjihialtle edible in that Colony. 



The breeding ^ea?on with moftt of our Mullet appears to he 

 I>etween Xovemlier and February during the N . K. momsoon. 



At this time I have seen the AtidEttg in m>Tiftds jn the surf, 

 near the mouth of the Trenggajra river and other river* on the 

 ICast Loast. A qnantity of yellowish foam and tunm lirouglu 

 ihiwn hy the rivers which are issually in full spate in Koveiulwr and 

 Deeciriber. atul this foam either con tai lis food or provides a snitahle 

 shade aud .shelter for the ova of the Mullet which are, I lielieve, 

 pelagic or floating eggs, A day of steady incci^^ant tropical rain 

 during the X. E, moni^oon iii the day above ]!ll others to which all 



t Fishoa of AuetraUft. 



