Freshwater Fish Identification
The list below are fish species caught in Malaysia. Malaysia is situated in the Central Indo-Pacific basin. There are approximately 2250 different species of fish in Malaysia, thanks to the unique geographic location and tropical climate.
Species Group: Miscellaneous freshwater fishes (ISSCAAP 13)
Common Name: Climbing Perch
Scientific Name: Anabas testudineus (Bloch, 1792)
Mandarin Name: 山鯽(Shān zéi), 攀鲈 (Pān lú)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Puyu, Pepuyu
Common Name: Asian Redtail Catfish
Scientific Name: Hemibagrus nemurus (Valenciennes, 1840)
Chinese Name: 白须公 (Bái xū gōng)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Baung, Sobong
Size: Maximum total length of 65 cm.
Common Name: Tinfoil Barb, Goldfoil Barb
Scientific Name: Barbonymus schwanenfeldii (Bleeker, 1854)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Kepiat, Lampan Sungai
Common Name: Mozambique Tilapia
Scientific Name: Oreochromis mossambicus (Peters, 1852)
Chinese Name: 非洲鱼 (Fēizhōu yú)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Tilapia, Mudjair
Local Hokkien: Hui Chiu
Common Name: Slender Walking Catfish
Scientific Name: Clarias nieuhofii Valenciennes, 1840
Mandarin Name: 连鳍胡鲶 (Lián qí hú nián), 塘虱 (Táng shī)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Keli, Keli Limbat
Local Hokkien: Thor Sat
Local Teochew: Thow Sak
Common Name:Northern Mud Gudgeon
Scientific Name: Ophiocara porocephala (Valenciennes, 1837)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Ubi Belontok
Common Name: Marble Goby
Scientific Name: Oxyeleotris marmorata (Bleeker, 1852)
Mandarin Name: 笋壳鱼 (Sǔn ké yú), 顺壳鱼 (Shùn ké yú), 蓝哥鱼 (Lán gē yú), 林哥鱼 (Lín gē yú)
Local Malay Name: Ketutu, Haruan Hantu, Bakut, Ubi
Local Hokkien: Soon Hock
Remarks: The fish is very active at night.
Common Name: Vermiculated Sailfin Catfish
Scientific Name: Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus (Weber, 1991)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Bandaraya, Ikan Cuci Cermin
Remarks: This species is native to South America but was caught in Skudai River in Malaysia. Probably due to escape during flood at the nearby village.
Common Name: Three Spot Gourami
Scientific Name: Trichopodus trichopterus (Pallas, 1770)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Sepat Padi, Sepat Minyak, Sepat Ronggeng
Common Name: Snakehead Murrel, Striped Snakehead
Scientific Name: Channa striata (Bloch, 1793)
Mandarin Name: 线鳢 (Xiàn lǐ), 生鱼 (Shēng yú)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Haruan, , Toman Paya
Local Hokkien: Lay Hu
Notes:
ISSCAAP = International Standard Statistical Classification of Aquatic Animals and Plants
D = Demersal finfishes
Demersal fishes lives in greater depth of oceans. They are also called bottom feeders.
P = Pelagic finfishes
Pelagic fishes are found mostly at shallow depths and their availability decreases with depth as food material and
oxygen became scarce.
sp. = Species
spp. = Several Species (Species Plural)
References:
Lauretta Burke, Liz Selig (WRI), and Mark Spalding (2002). Biodiversity of Southeast AsianCoral Reefs in: Reefs at Risk in Southeast Asia. UNEP-WCMC, Cambridge, UK. pp 13
Mohd Azmi Ambak, Mansor Mat Isa, Mohd Zaidi Zakaria and Mazlan Abd Ghaffar (2010) Fishes of Malaysia. Universiti Malaysia Trengganu, Malaysia. Penerbit UMT.
Fishbase. Available at:
http://www.fishbase.org
Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Available at:
http://www.fao.org/fishery/