The Organs of Feeding and the Food of Some Australian Mullet.

Abstract

The morphology of the jaws of six species of mullet (Mugilidae) is compared and illustrated. The maxilla is not fused to the skull and in two of the species the upper end moves forward during protrusion of the mouth. The premaxillae are protruded by the thrust from the internal hook of the maxillae. Three adductor and two protractor muscles attach to the maxillae. Their origins and insertions and mode of action are described. The disposition of minute teeth on the lips, tongue, and bones of the palate and on the pharyngeal pads is detailed. Counts of gill-rakers, pyloric caecae, and mucous ridges in the stomach are given. The gut contents of each species as revealed in intermittent observations are tabulated and compared with reports from elsewhere. In general mullet feed on any small organic material wherever it occurs in quantity, but the amount of crustacean or mollusc material is small except in individuals with the best-developed teeth.