Milkfish

Chanos chanos

Meet the Milkfish, an interesting creature that can be found off of the coasts and in the reefs of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. They are also a national symbol in the Philippines.

What makes the Milkfish so interesting? Well, for one, they are the only living member of their entire family, and are one of only a few species living within their entire order that dates back to the Cretaceous! Secondly, they have no teeth. Despite the fact that they can grow to lengths of up to 5ft, they feed only on algae and very small invertebrates.

Milkfish are referred to as Bangus in the Philippines, and the farming of these fish has been an industry there for around six hundred years! China, Taiwan, and Indonesia have also been commercially raising the fish for centuries, and each country has it's own method for handling the nurseries, the raising of the fish, and the harvesting.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Indian and Pacific Oceams
Size : Length up to 5ft (1.5m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Actinopterygii -- Order : Gonorynchiformes
Family : Chanidae -- Genus : Chanos -- Species : C. chanos