32 MALAYAN FISHES. 



The Siakap or Kakap (Laics cnlcarifer) is also found in the- 

 seas and estuaries of India where it is known to Europeans as the 

 '■ Cock-up '" and its range extends to Queensland and Western Aus- 

 tralia, where it is i;euerally known as the " Barramundi.'' 



It is a fine sjwrting fish and runs to a considerahle size. The 

 largest that I have heard of was taken in tlie Bay of Bengal by the 

 Government trawler " Golden Grown '" and weighed 58'0 pounds. 

 Before I read of tliis fish I used to l)e satisfied with 40 or 50 

 pounders. 



Tlie Kerapu (Epinephehis spp.) are very well represented in 

 our waters and are fine edible fi^h. Some species lose their bright 

 colouring soon after they are caught and have a dull mottled ap- 

 pearance when exhil)ited in the fi:h market which would not attract 

 a purchaser unacquainted with the fish. From an edible point of 

 view the Kerapu differs little from the Ikan merah, the latter 

 fish owing most of its popularity to its colour. 



Kerapu from 50 to 70 pounds in weight are occasionally Feen 

 in the mankets and the Keretang (E. pantlierinus) is commonly 

 seen up to two or three hundred pounds in weight. Any Malay 

 fislierman will tell you of a Keretang of fal)ulous size which he 

 hooked and fought for hours, being worsted in the end because his 

 boat and gear were too light to make any impression on the fish. 



Yery large ones are occasionally taken in fishing stakes 

 (Ki'long) and I have heard that the captors, on these occasions, 

 tickle the monster until they get it (piiet and then pass a strong 

 rotan through its gills by which it is finally secured and hauled up. 



The largest Keretang I ever saw was taken by a Malay and 

 myself. "We had to sink our boat after we had fought the fish to a 

 finish in order to load it; the weight, for there were no means 

 of weighing it, was estimated at 6 piculs, i.e. round about 800 

 pounds. 



This fisli appears to me to be identical with the Queensland 

 Groper illustrated in Stead's "Edible Fishes of New South Wales"' 

 under the name Promicrops itaiara. 



I have read that this fish derives its name Gropei from its 

 habit of groping about the rocks but I suggest that the name origin- 

 ated in Malaya or India. The Tamil name is Kurrapu. The 

 Malay name is Kerapu. The Brunei Malays biow it as Kurapa. 

 In tlie Philippines it is known to the Filipinos as Qarropa from 

 which the ti'ansition to Groper or Grouper is a slight one. 



One of our Kerapu (E. tauvina) is known in Australia under 

 the names Bro-mi -spotted Ffind and Black-spotted Eoek-cod. and of 

 this fish Eoughley writes, "It is of fine edible quality and grows to. 

 a length of at least four feet." 



In America nienil)ers of this family arc known as Sea-Bass. 



