THE CULTIVATION OP PLA SALID IN SIAM 



by 

 Boon Indrambarya 

 Dlrector-Genoral of Pish"brle3, Slum. 



INTRODUCTION . 



?la salld-ls a fresh-water fish. The fish, when salted 

 and dried, is one of the highly esteemed among the Siamese, 

 Being vegetarlaji, absolutely none anniba lis tic in habit/ pro- 

 lific in naturoj- and palatable in flesh, pla salid -is chosen 

 by the Siamese Department of Fisheries to try the cultivation 

 in ponds and' to set forth ideas worked out in actual practice 

 to be an improvement over the old methods of merely holding 

 young fish in ponds. This Department started the work in 

 195^. This paper is the nummary of observations and practices 

 and will serve as an information for further consideration lii' 

 the promotion of food supply in South East Asia, 



DESCRIPTION . 



The word "pla" in Siamese means fish. "Salid", believed 

 to be derived from a Cabodian word, means loaf. The -Siamese 

 sometimes call. this fish "pla bai-mai". "Bai-mai" means leaf. 



Pla salid is known scientlf icaliy as Triohogaster pec - 

 toralis (Regan). It belongs to the thread-fin family, Osphrdne- 

 midae, as.gouramy ( Osphroriemus goramy ) and sepat slam ( T.leeri 

 and T. "trichopterus ) do. It closely resembles sepat slam more 

 .than gouramy. It can be distinguished from the formers by 

 Oblique, and black bands on the sides and a longitudinal black 

 stripe from the eye to the caudal peduncle, v/hereas T.leeri 

 is shiny silvery-white and T. trichopterus is dark with fwo 

 spots on each side. 



HABITAT . 



Pla salid is common in swamps where aquatic plants are 

 of luxuriant growth. It is found to thrive well In water 



