136 CRENATED MULLET. 



with their nets^ which the fish are said to shew 

 great address in escaping from. 



The Mullet is considered as an excellent fish for 

 the table, though not a fashionable one in our own 

 country. Dr. Bloch informs us that it is generally 

 eaten with the addition of oil and lemon- juice. The 

 spawn is often prepared into an inferior kind of 

 Caviar called Botargo, by drying and salting it; in 

 which manner also the fish itself, in plentiful sea- 

 sons, is occasionally preserved. 



CRENATED MULLET. 



Mugil Crenilabis. M. albidus, sjibfusco lineal us, labris crenatis. 

 Whitish Mulletj with brownish stripes, and crenated iips. 

 Mugil crenilabis. M. pinna dorsali anterior e radiis quatuor 

 flexil'ihus, posterlore ijierwihuSy labiis crenatis, inferiore bicari- 

 nato. Lin. Gmel. Forsk. Arab, 



Size of the common Mullet : length about twelve 

 inches : colour v/hitish ; scales rather large, and 

 marked by a dusky streak : upper lip gaping ; 

 lower bicarinated within, and both lips crenulated 

 on the edges : fins glaucous white the pectoral 

 marked at the base by a round black spot : tail 

 forked. Native of the Red sea : observed by 

 Forskal, who mentions vv^hat he considers as three 

 varieties, in one of which, called Seheli, the lips are 

 not crenated ; in the second, called Ou7\ both the 

 lips are ciliated, and the lower furnished with a single 

 carina ; and in the third, called Tade, the upper lip 

 is finely ciliated, and the pectoral fms are without 

 the black spot. 



