[1] The "fasting mullet" (nh=stis kestreu/s) was so called because its stomach was always found empty (LSJ s.v. nh=stis II.2). The phrase is commonplace in comedy as a metaphor for starvelings: Alexis fr. 256 Kock (now 258 Kassel-Austin, Amipsias fr. 1 Kock (and K.-A.), Antiphanes fr. 138 Kock (136 K.-A.), Archippus fr. 12 Kock (and K.-A.), Aristophanes fr. 156 Kock (159 K.-A.), Diphilus fr. 54 Kock (53 K.-A.), Eubulus fr. 68 Kock (and K.-A.), Euphron fr. 2 Kock (and K.-A.), Philemon fr. 80 Kock (83 K.-A.), Theopompus fr. 13 Kock (14 K.-A.).
[2] See Aristotle below.
[3] Aristotle, History of Animals 591a: "All fishes devour their own species, with the single exception of the kestreus or mullet; and the conger is especially ravenous in this respect. The kephalos and the mullet in general are the only fish that eat no flesh; this may be inferred from the facts that when caught they are never found with flesh in their intestines ... Every fish of the mullet-kind lives on sea-weed and sand. ... The kephalos lives in mud, and is in consequence heavy and slimy; it never feeds on any other fish. ... Of all fishes the mullet is the most voracious and insatiable, and in consequence its belly is kept at full stretch; whenever it is not starving, it may be considered as out of condition."
[4] From discussion of the proverb "the mullet fasts" (see under kappa 1429); the wording is verbatim from Pausanias *)attikw=n o)noma/twn sunagwgh/ kappa29.
[5] So already kappa 1431.