MALAYAN FISHES. 



Its eultivatioii is & consideraljli* iudustn' in the Philippine*, 

 the SautJwieh Inlands and Ja.m, end Dtiy records tliat, in South 

 Caurtra, Hydcr AU jutrcidiu-ed it from the spft into Uuiks of fre^ 

 and hritckitii water where it stil! tlirivt^. 



iSi*ak'' give^! n mo?t iiiterestiiijf and vain ill sic nt-coinit of the 

 cniltivfltioii of this iish, whieh is known by \hv Filipiuos as the- 

 Banff OS ; I quote the following extrjipts : 



" The Milk-fi^sh is oni' nf tlii! nxjst imjiort«nt coninipreial 

 fishea in the Ishinda. It is raided eliielly in the lish pouds at 

 Mai a Iron ttiid at other places neflr Manik and therefoTe ean be 

 tet'iired at any time ref^ardlesn of the weather. 



"Tliig fijili is parti culftriy adapted to pond eidtnrie 1>eiii^ a 

 vegetable feeder of rapid growth. 



"The egjrs are deposited in the sea. The jouni; appear 

 diirijiff tho niojitln^ of April. May, Jiiiic nnd July. They are to 

 he foiiml ill ^reat nnmljers alon^ tlie l>efichep and are captured 

 hy the iiativcii and phirinl in hir^r? earthon jari; full of wter 

 ealled jndijol-. They are then conveyefl to the Mi ponds, 

 frequently a Iiundred miles disstant, 



■* One of the jers wntniofi about %/>\)^^ yotin^ Bangoa. 

 Ahoiiit COyOOO are used to stock one pond of 1 hektare. As the 

 HpIj grow they mh thinned out by tnul^^fer tu other ponds. 

 Thirty 'three |>er cent should reach marketable size and a year- 

 ling shoiihi measure half a metre/' 



FOOD OF THE MILK FIKTI. 



'* If it iy desired to eultivat^ the food aljLja. the water of 

 the ijoiid allowed to ilraii\ otf and the I'lay is u.\]ioR'd to the 

 fidl jMJwer of the sun. The alj^a rapidly niakus its a|ijK^irance 

 and a htUe water h tlien [>ermitted to eover the bottom. This^ 

 is gradually increased as the Oedogonium develop?. 



The average value of the ponds about ilanila Bay is pro- 

 bably eentavos )>er squari^ metre, giving a total of more than 

 6,0(Kl'^0t>0 pesioe for the pond vfilae alone, whit-h I am convinced 

 is a eonservafcive estimate.** 



There slionld be no great diffieulty in estahli^hiug a sirailar in- 

 dimtry iu Malaya and there are many mangrove areas on the West 

 Coast of the rcniusula where series of ponds could lie constructetU 



There are many places where these fish are feeding on beds of 

 eea moss and I saw raiilionsi of fry not far from Buttt^rworth 

 recently (Mnreh 21. ^^t) whieli a tlavane^e told nie were Anak 

 Jangas. The Milk Fish attaina a length of 5 feet It is not often 

 captured a? it. will not take a bait and vvill jump over a seine or 

 drift net. 



I** Fishery resource? of the Philippines." 



