These are Florida mullet. Considered “trash fish” by most, native Floridians love eating smoked mullet.
They were frozen to death because of global warming. Via the Pensacola News Journal:
“It will affect the pelicans and larger fish that eat mullet,” said Jeffrey Trout at Harbor View Marine in Pensacola. “And the baby mullet. It will affect the fishing for sure.”
“Rarely do waters get so cold in this region of the country that a massive amount of fish dies all at one time, but that’s just what happened last week in Gulf Shores, Alabama,” says the Pensacola News Journal.Jeffrey Trout said he saw at least 4,000 to 5,000 dead mullet in a canal near his home on Jan. 11. He said they ranged from 6 to 12 inches in length.
“Gulf Shores paid a sub contractor $9,600 to clean the 24,000 pounds of dead mullet,’ the article continues. “The cleanup took four days.”
“The mass death of the mullet is bad news for both fishermen and the wildlife in that area.
A representative with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirmed Trout’s analysis, saying “we suspect these are related to sudden and prolonged drops in temperature.”