I caught a few Mullet this evening off Sullivan's Island, Charleston, and they looked a little different from the Striped Mullet I have been seeing. After looking in my saltwater Peterson, I noticed it may be a White Mullet. First off, the stripes weren't present for it to be Striped Mullet. Also, on the Striped Mullet, the second dorsal fin begins directly above the point where the anal fin begins. On the fish pictured, the second dorsal fin begins well into where the anal fin begins. Another thing was the bluish blotch at the base of the pectoral fin, which White Mullet are supposed to have.

Oh, I almost forgot, ran into a mess of Atlantic Silversides, with the Rough Silverside, is the fish just rough to the touch or how does one id them? I caught several that had rough scales.

I can go with the white mullet ID but there is usually a yellowish blotch at the upper edge of the opercle.  also lots of scales on second dorsal and anal fins.

My recollection of how to ID rough silversides is to look at their back in front of the dorsal fin and it should have scattered (peppered) black dots versus usual outlined scales (plus rough to the touch)

I can go with the white mullet ID but there is usually a yellowish blotch at the upper edge of the opercle.  also lots of scales on second dorsal and anal fins.

 

My recollection of how to ID rough silversides is to look at their back in front of the dorsal fin and it should have scattered (peppered) black dots versus usual outlined scales (plus rough to the touch)

Thanks for the help Fritz, I can go back tonight and get a few more Silversides and examine them a little closer.

They tend to be big and along the beach and other high salinity areas.

While I did agree with white mullet, I'm not totally convinced that is what they are. Small striped mullet don't always have noticeable stripes.  Look for some mullet in high salinity areas (creeks, sloughs, etc).  White mullet tend to like higher salinity - look for the yellow blotch

They tend to be big and along the beach and other high salinity areas.

 

While I did agree with white mullet, I'm not totally convinced that is what they are. Small striped mullet don't always have noticeable stripes.  Look for some mullet in high salinity areas (creeks, sloughs, etc).  White mullet tend to like higher salinity - look for the yellow blotch

Sounds good, I will check some new places out today and tonight. With regards to the possible White Mullet, if it were a Striped, wouldn't the second dorsal fin align with the anal fin? On this fish, they don't align, I wonder if that is a factor? Or it is like the Ladyfish where the fins move as the fish ages?