16 MALAYAN FISHES. 
Its cultivation is a considerable industry in the Philippines, 
the Sandwich Islands and Java, and Day records that, in South 
Canara, Hyder Ali introduced it from the sea into tanks of fresh 
and brackish water where it still thrives. 
Seale’ gives a most interesting and valuable account of the 
cultivation of this fish, which is known by the Filipinos as the 
Bangos; 1 quote the following extracts: 
“ The Milk-fish is one of the most important commercial 
fishes in the Islands. It is raised chiefly in the fish ponds at 
Malabon and at other places near Manila and therefore can be 
secured at any time regardless of the weather. 
“ This fish is particularly adapted to pond culture being a 
vegetable feeder of rapid growth. 
“The eggs are deposited in the sea. The young appear 
during the months of April, May, June and July. They are to 
be found in great numbers along the beaches and are captured 
by the natives and placed in large earthen jars full of water 
called palyok. They are then ‘conveyed to the fish ponds,. 
frequently a hundred miles distant. 
“One of the jars contains about 2,500 young Bangos. 
About 60,000 are used to stock one pond of 1 hektare. As the 
fish grow they are thinned out by transfer to other ponds. 
Thirty-three per cent should reach marketable size and a year- 
ling should measure half a metre.” 
FOOD OF THE MILK FISH. 
“Tf it is desired to cultivate the food alga, the water of 
the pond is allowed to drain off and the clay is exposed to the 
full power of the sun. The alga rapidly makes.its appearance 
and a little water is then permitted to cover the bottom. This. 
is gradually increased as the Oedogonium develops. 
“ The average value of the ponds about Manila Bay is pro- 
bably 40 centavos per square metre, giving a total of more than 
6,000,000 pesos for the pond value alone, which I am convinced 
is a conservative estimate.” 
There should be no great difficulty in establishing a similar in- 
dustry in Malaya and there are many mangrove areas on the West 
Coast of the Peninsula where series of ponds could be constructed. 
There are many places where these fish are feeding on beds of 
sea moss and I saw millions of fry not far from Butterworth 
recently (March 21st) which a Javanese told me were Anak 
jangas. The Milk Fish attains a length of 5 feet. It is not often 
captured as it will not take a bait and will jump over. a seine or 
drift net. 
“ys Fishery resources of the. Philippines.” 2 
