The feeding periodicity of striped mullet, Mugil cephalus L., in two Florida habitats

The feeding periodicity of Mugil cephalus (striped mullet) was investigated during the summer and autumn of 1979 using percentage body weight made up of stomach contents as an indicator of feeding intensity. One study site was freshwater, the other was estuarine and both were tidally influenced. Mullet at both sites feed diurnally, with maximum intensity occurring at about 11.00 hours and little or no feeding occurring at night. Fish from the freshwater site have larger standard length‐specific intestine lengths and also include more plant material in their diet than do mullet from the estuarine site. At both sites fish longer than 28 cm standard length (s.l.) tend to be female; the difference from a 50:50 sex ratio is highly significant in both cases. Females longer than 28 cm s.l. outnumber all other sex and size combinations at the freshwater site, but comprise only 28% of fish collected at the estuarine site.