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Often included in the writings of ancient Romans, the mullet was cultivated
thousands of years ago in the deltas of the Nile River. Native chieftains
of the Hawaiian and Phillippine Islands once had large numbers of fish ponds
built throughout the islands for the express purpose of raising mullet. This
fish is still held in high esteem and is recognized as one of the most valuable
finfish from Florida waters. The mullet also goes by the name of striped mullet or black mullet. It has a stout, elongated body with a broad head. It is bluish gray above and silvery on its sides and belly. It has large scales with dark centers that give the appearance of longitudinal lines on the sides of the fish. The fish averages 2-3 pounds in size. Mullet are found from Maine to Brazil in the Atlantic, and from Monterey, California, to Chile in the Pacific. Florida produces approximately 75% of the mullet caught in the United States. Mullet are schooling fish and are generally easy to spot jumping in and out of the water. CULINARY DESCRIPTION This fish makes fine eating. The mullet's tender, firm-textured flesh has a mild, nut-like flavor. Mullet adapts readily to oven frying, baking, broiling, and is particularly good smoked. |
