Striped Mullet

Striped mullet have a rounded, silvery body, dark bluish green back and dark longitudinal stripes on the sides, and a small mouth. Adults grow to around 18 inches in length. Immature mullet are 3 to 8 inches long. They spend a great deal of time close to shore around the mouths of streams and rivers or in brackish bays, inlets and lagoons with sand or mud bottoms.

Striped mullet can often be seen in coastal waters, jumping to evade predators. Because they are one of the most common prey items of fish such as spotted seatrout, people often use them as bait. In Florida, striped mullet can be found on the menus of many restaurants. In other areas, mullet are harvested for use as a bait fish. Striped mullet are also widely cultivated in freshwater ponds in Southeast Asia where they are marketed fresh, dried, salted, and frozen.

Fishermen in the South catch mullet in the shallows, using cast nets to cover schools of fish. Cast netters may snare mullet from the shoreline or from boats. A high quality, fast sinking cast net is essential for success.