abundant in the shallow waters of the coast. It sometimes reaches a length of two feet and is an important food fish. The mullet is very abundant on the Florida coasts. While the mullet may be regarded as a scavenger, living principally on mud, it does not eat any other species of fish, but is itself eaten by nearly all fishes that can gain access to it.
Composition of the Mullet.—
Fresh. Dry.
Water, 74.87 percent
Protein, 19.32 " 77.50 percent
Fat, 4.64 " 18.45 "
Ash, 1.17 " 4.66 "
Muskallunge.—A very noted member of this family is the muskallunge (Esox masquinongy). It is a native of the Great Lakes and is especially found in the upper St. Lawrence. It is not a very abundant fish, but is highly prized from the angler's point of view. It is of very great size, having been found as long as 8 feet and weighing over 100 pounds. Two other species of muskallunge are known, one (Esox ohiensis or the Chautauqua muskallunge) in the Ohio river basin, particularly in Lake Chautauqua, where it has been artificially propagated with great success, and the unspotted muskallunge (Esox immaculatus), which occurs sparingly in certain small lakes of northern Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Composition of the Muskallunge.—
Fresh. Dry.
Water, 76.26 percent
Protein, 19.63 " 84.87 percent
Fat, 2.54 " 10.70 "
Ash, 1.57 " 6.63 "
The flesh of the muskallunge, as is seen, contains about four times as much fat as that of the pickerel, and forms a ration which is not so unbalanced as that of the pickerel itself.
Pickerel or Pike.—One species (Esox reticulatus) is of common occurrence along the Atlantic coast and also in the fresh-water streams of the southern interior portions of the country. The pike of the Great Lakes belongs to the species Esox lucius Linnæus. It is found in the fresh waters of North America, Europe, and Asia, but is not found on the Pacific coast except in Alaska. It reaches in some cases a large size, having been found as much as 4 feet in length and weighing 40 to 50 pounds. The Kankakee in northern Indiana is a well-known fishing ground for this species of pike.
Composition of Pickerel.—Edible portion:
Fresh. Dry.
Water, 79.68 percent
Protein, 18.64 " 92.15 percent
Fat, .50 " 2.48 "
Ash, 1.18 " 5.80 "
