Mullet, << MUHL iht, >> is the name of two different families of silvery-blue fish with stout bodies. Mullets are from 1 to 2 feet (30 to 61 centimeters) long and have blunt heads and small mouths. The teeth, if any, are very weak. Great numbers of these fish live close to the shore in nearly all temperate and tropical waters. Their flesh is wholesome and has a good flavor. The striped mullet is the largest of all the species, weighing from 10 to 12 pounds (4.5 to 5.4 kilograms). Striped mullets are plentiful around the Florida Keys and on the Gulf Coast. The liza and the white mullet live in the same areas as the striped mullet and are about as large.
Surmullets, or red mullets, are small, brightly colored fish that live chiefly in warm seas. They have small mouths and weak teeth. Two long barbels (fleshy, whiskerlike growths) hang like strings from the chin of the red mullet.
