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Philippine Fish Species - List of Common Fish in the Philippines
By Knowdafish, April 30, 2014 in Food, Grocery Shopping, & Restaurants
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Philippine Fish
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Knowdafish
1,772 Knowdafish
Posted April 30, 2014
I ran across this while doing some other fish related research. If you have other species to add feel free
to do so along with the other names for the fish that are listed.
http://philfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/05/philippine-fish.html
Philippine Fish Species - List of Common Fish in the Philippines
A list of Philippine fish names in English and Filipino (Tagalog), with some scientific names and fish
pictures to help identify particular Filipino fish species found in local fish markets:
Agoot - grunt
Alakaak - croaker
Alumahan - long-jawed mackerel / Indian mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta)
Alumahan.jpg alumahan
Alumahang bato - chub mackerel (e.g. Scomber japonicus)
Apahap - barramundi, seaperch
Asohos - sillago / whiting (e.g. Sillago sihama)
Ayungin - silver perch / silver theraponid (Leiopotherapon plumbeus)
Babansi / bagaong - terapon (e.g. Terapon jarbua)
Bakoko - grunt (e.g. Pomadasys argenteus), seabream, sweet lips
Banak / asubi / talilong - mullet
Bangus - milkfish (Chanos chanos)
Bidbid - Hawaiian ladyfish (Elops hawaiensis)
Biloan - lattice monocle bream (Scolopsis taeniopterus) [?]
Bisugo - threadfin bream (e.g. Nemipterus japonicus), jobfish, goatfish
Bisugo.jpg bisugo
Bitilya - emperor (e.g. Lethrinus lentjan)
Biya - goby (generally, some exceptions)
Buan-buan - Indo-Pacific tarpon (Megalops cyprinoides)
Burara - bigeye snapper (Lutjanus lutjanus) [?]
Chabeta / hiwas - moonfish (Mene maculata)
Dalag - mudfish / striped snakehead (Channa striata)
Dalag-dagat - cobia (Rachycentron canadum)
Dalagang bukid - fusilier
Danggit - rabbitfish
Danggit.jpg danggit
Dapa - flounder, sole (flatfish)
Dilat - red bigeye (Priacanthus macracanthus)
Dilis - anchovy
Twakang - Commerson's anchovy (Stolephorus commersonnii), Indian anchovy (Stolephorus indicus)
Dorado - dolphinfish / mahi-mahi (Coryphaena hippurus), queenfish
Dulong - lacustrine goby (Gobiopterus lacustris)
Espada - beltfish / largehead hairtail (Trichiurus lepturus)
Espada.jpg espada
Galunggong - mackerel scad (Decapterus macarellus), Indian scad / Russell's mackerel scad (Decapterus
russelli), scad (various - usually scads with longer narrower bodies)
Gulyasan - skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis)
Hasa-hasa / kabalyas / kabayas - short mackerel (Rastrelliger brachysoma)
Hasa-hasa+Kabayas.jpg hasa-hasa
Hito - catfish (black, e.g. Clarias batrachus)
Igat / palos - eel
Isu - mangrove red snapper (Lutjanus argentimaculatus)
Kabasi - gizzard shad (e.g. Nematalosa nasus, Anodontostoma chacunda)
Kalaso - lizardfish
Kanduli - catfish (silver, e.g. Arius manillensis)
Karpa - carp (e.g. Aristichthys nobilis)
Kitang - spotted scat (Scatophagus argus)
Labahita - surgeonfish, unicornfish
Lao-lao / lawlaw - deepbody sardinella (Sardinella brachysoma)
Lapu-lapu - grouper (e.g. Epinephelus coioides)
Loro - parrotfish
Ludong - lobed river mullet (Cestraeus plicatilis)
Malaga - vermiculated spinefoot (Siganus vermiculatus)
Malakapas - mojarra, silver-biddy
Malakapas.jpg malakapas
Malasugi - blue marlin, swordfish
Mamali - fourfinger threadfin (Eleutheronema tetradactylum)
Martiniko - climbing perch (Anabas testudineus)
Matangbaka - oxeye scad (Selar boops), bigeye scad (Selar crumenophthalmus)
Maya-maya / bambangin / pargo - snapper (e.g. Lutjanus sebae)
Pampano - pomfret and pompano (e.g. Parastromateus niger)
Sagisi / tikwi - deepwater red snapper (Etelis carbunculus), deepwater longtail red snapper (Etelis
coruscans)
Samaral - goldlined spinefoot (Siganus guttatus)
Salay-salay - yellowstripe scad (Selaroides leptolepis), herring scad (Alepes vari), scad (various - usually
rounder wider scads with yellow marking)
Salay-salay aso / salingga - shrimp scad (Alepes djedaba)
Salay batang / kalapato - yellowtail scad (Atule mate)
Salay+ginto.jpg salay ginto - yellow stripe scad
Sapsap - ponyfish / slipmouth
Silinyasi / tunsoy - fringescale sardinella (Sardinella fimbriata)
Sinarapan - Mistichthys luzonensis
Taksay - toothpony (Gazza minuta)
Talakitok / maliputo - trevally / jack / cavalla (e.g. Caranx ignobilis)
Talakitok.jpg talakitok
Talimusak - maned goby (Oxyurichthys microlepis)
Tambakol - yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus)
Tamban - sardine
Tanigue / tangigue - Narrow-barred Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson), Indo-Pacific king
mackerel (Scomberomorus guttatus), wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri)
Tawilis - freshwater sardinella (Sardinella tawilis)
Tilapia / pla pla - tilapia (e.g. Oreochromis niloticus)
Torsilyo - barracuda
Torsillo.jpg torsilyo/torsillo
Tulingan - kawakawa / mackerel tuna (Euthynnus affinis), bullet tuna (Auxis rochei), frigate tuna (Auxis
thazard)
Other Fish:
Ataba - archerfish
Balo - needlefish
Bolador - flying fish (e.g. Cypselurus opisthopus)
Kansusuit - garfish
Maming - wrasse
Paru-parong dagat - butterflyfish
Mollusks, Crustaceans, and other Shellfish:
Alimasag - crab Portunidae spp. (e.g. blue swimmer crab, Portunus pelagicus), coral crab (Charybdis
feriatus)
Alimango - mud crab
Putian / bulik - Indo-Pacific swamp crab / mangrove king crab (Scylla serrata)
Pulahan - orange mud crab (Scylla olivacea)
Alupihang-dagat - mantis shrimp
Curacha - spanner crab / red frog crab (Ranina ranina)
Diwal - Pacific angelwing clam (Pholas Orientalis)
Halaan - clam (e.g. Manila clam / Japanese carpet shell, Ruditapes philippinarum)
Tulya - Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea previously also known as Corbicula manilensis)
Hipon - shrimp (e.g. whiteleg shrimp, Penaeus vannamei)
Swahe / suahe - endeavor prawn (e.g. red endeavor prawn / greasy back shrimp,Metapenaeus ensis)
Kuhol - snail (Pila luzonica)
Pugita - octopus
Pusit - squid
Pusit Bisaya - smaller pink-speckled squid (Indian squid - Loligo duvauceli [?])
Pusit lumot - larger dark-speckled squid (bigfin reef squid - Sepioteuthis lessoniana[?])
Sugpo - prawn (e.g. Penaeus monodon)
Susô - snail
Tahong - mussel (e.g. Perna viridis)
Talaba - oyster (e.g. Crassostrea iredalei)
Talangka - shore crab (Varuna litterata)
Tuyom - sea urchin
Ulang - giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii), crayfish, lobster
Other Sea Creatures and Aquatic Species:
Arosep / lato - sea grape seaweed (Caulerpa lentillifera, Caulerpa racemosa)
Balatan - sea cucumber
Balyena - whale
Bulate - sea worm
Butanding - whale shark (Rhincodon typus)
Dikya - jellyfish
Guso - seaweed (e.g. Eucheuma spp.)
Pagi - ray
Pating - shark
Notes
In the Philippines fish are called isda. There are many varieties of fish. The country's tropical climate
and coral reefs make its waters located near the center of the Coral Triangle among the richest in
marine life anywhere providing a bounty of fresh Philippine seafood and an assortment of tropical fish.
According to some estimates 5% of the world's reef area is in Philippine waters and the marine fish in
the area represent 20% of the total marine fish in the world.
Fishing is an important source of livelihood for many Filipinos. In 1998 around 3% of the country's labor
force was involved in the Philippine fishing industry which contributed to about 3.6% of the GDP
composition. Commercial fishing operations produce most of the catch but a growing percentage
comes from aquaculture / mariculture. An ordinary Filipino consumes around 98.6 grams of fish or fish
products a day making it the primary source of protein in the Filipino diet. The Philippines being a
predominantly Christian nation, fish are especially popular during Lent.
The best time to buy fish is early in the morning. Philippine fishing boats bring their catch to places like
the Navotas Fish Port Complex (the largest in the country) while it is still dark. From there fish are
distributed to local markets.
Philippine+Fish.jpg
Maya-maya, Samaral, and Pampano
Naming of Philippine Fish
Filipino fish names can get confusing very quickly. Different names can be given to the same fish and a
name can be applied to multiple fish—and that's just in the same dialect and region. Given the various
Philippine languages and the disparate islands comprising the archipelago, custom and usage varies and
contradictions frequently crop up. In Metro Manila, Tagalog is the dominant language but because of
the influx of people from the provinces, local names and regional names from other parts of the country
like the Visayas or Ilocos or even other Tagalog provinces with their own name variants are sometimes
used in Manila wet markets.
Alumahan can apparently be used in some places to refer to Rastrelliger brachysoma as well as
Rastrelliger kanagurta but my local fishmonger will say that is simply wrong and that the two are distinct.
On the other hand he will accept that different Philippine fish species can each be called salay-salay.
Kalapato is an alternative name not only for certain salay-salay but also talakitok.
Some sources seem to indicate that talakitok and maliputo largely refer to the same species, but others
make a distinction. According to one explanation, talakitok grows in seawater while maliputo grows in
freshwater. Maliputo seems to have a reputation for being a good food fish comparable to that of the
maya-maya that talakitok does not.
Lapad translates as wide in Filipino and is often used to describe and differentiate Caesio cuning
fromPterocaesio digramma—dalagang bukid (lapad) and dalagang bukid (bilog) respectively. But lapad
is also used as a common name for various short flat and wide sardinellas like Sardinella albella,
Sardinella brachysoma, and Sardinella fimbriata; although in those cases it may also be to differentiate
them fromtamban, narrower and rounder sardines. Even though a source I'm looking at says lawlaw
and silinyasi refer to different sardinella, I wouldn't be surprised if in practice the terms along with lapad
and tunsoy are actually being used interchangeably for the similar looking fish species. Tawilis is also
used for these sardinella but it is a name probably most properly reserved for the Philippine freshwater
fish specie endemic to Lake Taal. Sardines are popular fish for canning, smoking and drying. Tinapa is
the Filipino term for smoked fish whiletuyo is the Filipino word for dry and is also used for dried fish. The
town of Rosario, Cavite previously called Salinas (derived from sal Spanish for salt) is known for its
tinapa and tuyo, so smoked or dried fish are sometimes referred to as salinas.
According to sources danggit refer to rabbitfish, spinefoots, and members of the family Siganidae in
general and can thus be applied to samaral. But in my local wet market at least danggit refers to what
looks like mottled spinefoot (Siganus fuscescens) and samaral refers pretty specifically to orangespotted spinefoot (Siganus guttatus). [Which may also be goldlined spinefoot (Siganus lineatus). The
two species seem to interbreed and may be one and the same.] Then again some consider the samaral
a malaga while others seem to consider them distinctly different fish. Elsewhere in the Philippines,
members of the Siganidae family can also be called kitang; while in my area kitang is the name for scats
which are in the family Scatophagidae.
The names tulingan and tambakol, both often referring to bluish-tinged tuna, are sometimes
interchanged with one another or used to refer to tuna in general. But tulingan usually refers to smaller
tuna whiletambakol gets applied to larger ones. Bariles is another common fish name, taken from the
Spanish word forbarrel, that is used for large tuna. Tatampal is one name used for flounder but has also
been seen to refer to mantis shrimp.
Restaurants
In paluto restaurants with fresh or live fish to select from, maya-maya and lapu-lapu are popular
premium fish choices. A Philippine fish recipe that would work well with these fish is to cook them
escabeche. Red tilapia, sometimes presented as "kingfish", has also been observed in some fish and
seafood restaurants. It's a possibly misleading fish since its red pigmentation may lead those unfamiliar
with it to mistake it formaya-maya, and "kingfish" is a designation that has been used for tanigue, but
red tilapia is not as highly valued as either of those fish. Red tilapia is a hybrid fish created by fish
farmers. Tilapia is an introduced species in the country grown in fish cages and fish ponds largely used
in aquaculture because of its fast reproduction leading it to be called "chicken of the sea".
Red+tilapia.jpg red tilapia
At restaurants where fresh or live fish are not available, the usual unspecified nameless white fish in
fillet form that has apparently become the default is the so-called "cream dory" also called "river
cobbler". This is actually a fish from the family Pangasius, imported and usually described elsewhere as
Vietnamese catfish with the names swai, basa, or tra referring to different species. At Filipino
restaurants bangus is usually available somewhere in the menu. Blue marlin also pops up with some
frequency as does gindara. Salmon although imported and more expensive has also become popular.
Risks
Although the Philippine fish identified on the main list are believed to be sold in markets one needs to
take care with unfamiliar fish. One species may be safe while another in the same family may not be.
Even among those fish that are widely eaten some need to be prepared or handled a certain way prior
to cooking and eating for them to be safe. Scombroid fish poisoning with symptoms similar to an
allergic reaction is associated with tunas, mackerels, mahi-mahi, and marlin that have spoiled resulting
in the release of histamines which are unaffected by cooking. There are also reports of ciguatera
poisoning with some species. Red tide toxins are a danger related to harmful algal blooms. The
Philippine government issues red tide alerts from time to time to warn about the harvesting, buying,
selling and eating of seafood from certain areas.
Edited April 30, 2014 by Knowdafish
Like 7
Irenicus
7,700 Irenicus
Posted May 1, 2014
On 5/1/2014 at 6:02 AM, Knowdafish said:
A Philippine fish recipe that would work well with these fish is to cook them escabeche.
It's a toss up, trying to decide between fresh yellow fin tuna kinilaw or escabeche as my favorite local
seafood dish.
Frikken awesome!
Thanks, Mr. Fish.
Like 1
Alfred E. Neuman
5,789 Alfred E. Neuman
Posted May 1, 2014
I had a scatophagus argus in my brackish aquarium who was very entertaining and recognizes his owner.
Tanguige steak seared with olive oil, lemon and tomatoes with black pepper.
Like 3
Monsoon
28,935 Monsoon
Posted May 1, 2014
On 5/1/2014 at 8:48 AM, Irenicus said:
It's a toss up, trying to decide between fresh yellow fin tuna kinilaw
I have always been partial to kinilaw made with tanigue.
Like 2
meylou
426 meylou
Posted May 1, 2014
My all-time favorites: maliputo, lapu-lapu, mahi-mahi, smoked alumahan. I prefer my fish grilled or
broiled.
Thanks for the list. Brought back memories of when I used to go to the public market and bought fish.
Can't wait to to it again - hopefully very soon.
Like 2
Alfred E. Neuman
5,789 Alfred E. Neuman
Posted May 1, 2014
Don't bother eating the freshies, they're just calories. Cooking them need lots of salt and spices to make
them tasty.
hyaku
2,572 hyaku
Posted May 1, 2014
Too long in Japan for me. Eat it raw with wasabi and soy. I only cook fish if its not fresh.
Sea Urchin for me every time I can get it. Spooned straight out of the shell on rice.
Snapper for lunch. It's 'questionable' so its cooking right now. A sprinkle of Laziza fish curry powder
today.
Some nice clams two days ago in cream and garlic sauce with pasta was nice.
Like 2
+RogerDuMond
11,986 RogerDuMond
Posted May 1, 2014
Black tip shark steaks on the grill is a good choice.
Here is another list.
http://www.stuartxchange.org/FishNames.html
Edited May 1, 2014 by RogerDuMond
Monsoon
28,935 Monsoon
Posted May 1, 2014
On 5/1/2014 at 3:28 PM, RogerDuMond said:
Black tip shark steaks on the grill is a good choice.
Here is another list.
http://www.stuartxchange.org/FishNames.html
Read more
Shark tastes good but a negative side is it has some of the highest mercury content of all.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Hy H
1,987 Hy H
Posted May 1, 2014
On 5/1/2014 at 12:46 PM, hyaku said:
Too long in Japan for me. Eat it raw with wasabi and soy. I only cook fish if its not fresh.
Thought Japs are too fastidious about their fish eating habits for having anything but fresh available.
cebubird
5,386 cebubird
Posted May 1, 2014
Guess I'm overlooking it, but what is Cream Dory? I have eaten that a few times and like it.
Back home, drum,(red and blackFood, Grocery Shopping, & Restaurants
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Philippine Fish Species - List of Common Fish in the Philippines
By Knowdafish, April 30, 2014 in Food, Grocery Shopping, & Restaurants
Fish
Philippine Fish
PREV
1
NEXT
Page 1 of 2
Knowdafish
1,772 Knowdafish
Posted April 30, 2014
I ran across this while doing some other fish related research. If you have other species to add feel free
to do so along with the other names for the fish that are listed.
http://philfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/05/philippine-fish.html
Philippine Fish Species - List of Common Fish in the Philippines
A list of Philippine fish names in English and Filipino (Tagalog), with some scientific names and fish
pictures to help identify particular Filipino fish species found in local fish markets:
Agoot - grunt
Alakaak - croaker
Alumahan - long-jawed mackerel / Indian mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta)
Alumahan.jpg alumahan
Alumahang bato - chub mackerel (e.g. Scomber japonicus)
Apahap - barramundi, seaperch
Asohos - sillago / whiting (e.g. Sillago sihama)
Ayungin - silver perch / silver theraponid (Leiopotherapon plumbeus)
Babansi / bagaong - terapon (e.g. Terapon jarbua)
Bakoko - grunt (e.g. Pomadasys argenteus), seabream, sweet lips
Banak / asubi / talilong - mullet
Bangus - milkfish (Chanos chanos)
Bidbid - Hawaiian ladyfish (Elops hawaiensis)
Biloan - lattice monocle bream (Scolopsis taeniopterus) [?]
Bisugo - threadfin bream (e.g. Nemipterus japonicus), jobfish, goatfish
Bisugo.jpg bisugo
Bitilya - emperor (e.g. Lethrinus lentjan)
Biya - goby (generally, some exceptions)
Buan-buan - Indo-Pacific tarpon (Megalops cyprinoides)
Burara - bigeye snapper (Lutjanus lutjanus) [?]
Chabeta / hiwas - moonfish (Mene maculata)
Dalag - mudfish / striped snakehead (Channa striata)
Dalag-dagat - cobia (Rachycentron canadum)
Dalagang bukid - fusilier
Danggit - rabbitfish
Danggit.jpg danggit
Dapa - flounder, sole (flatfish)
Dilat - red bigeye (Priacanthus macracanthus)
Dilis - anchovy
Twakang - Commerson's anchovy (Stolephorus commersonnii), Indian anchovy (Stolephorus indicus)
Dorado - dolphinfish / mahi-mahi (Coryphaena hippurus), queenfish
Dulong - lacustrine goby (Gobiopterus lacustris)
Espada - beltfish / largehead hairtail (Trichiurus lepturus)
Espada.jpg espada
Galunggong - mackerel scad (Decapterus macarellus), Indian scad / Russell's mackerel scad (Decapterus
russelli), scad (various - usually scads with longer narrower bodies)
Gulyasan - skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis)
Hasa-hasa / kabalyas / kabayas - short mackerel (Rastrelliger brachysoma)
Hasa-hasa+Kabayas.jpg hasa-hasa
Hito - catfish (black, e.g. Clarias batrachus)
Igat / palos - eel
Isu - mangrove red snapper (Lutjanus argentimaculatus)
Kabasi - gizzard shad (e.g. Nematalosa nasus, Anodontostoma chacunda)
Kalaso - lizardfish
Kanduli - catfish (silver, e.g. Arius manillensis)
Karpa - carp (e.g. Aristichthys nobilis)
Kitang - spotted scat (Scatophagus argus)
Labahita - surgeonfish, unicornfish
Lao-lao / lawlaw - deepbody sardinella (Sardinella brachysoma)
Lapu-lapu - grouper (e.g. Epinephelus coioides)
Loro - parrotfish
Ludong - lobed river mullet (Cestraeus plicatilis)
Malaga - vermiculated spinefoot (Siganus vermiculatus)
Malakapas - mojarra, silver-biddy
Malakapas.jpg malakapas
Malasugi - blue marlin, swordfish
Mamali - fourfinger threadfin (Eleutheronema tetradactylum)
Martiniko - climbing perch (Anabas testudineus)
Matangbaka - oxeye scad (Selar boops), bigeye scad (Selar crumenophthalmus)
Maya-maya / bambangin / pargo - snapper (e.g. Lutjanus sebae)
Pampano - pomfret and pompano (e.g. Parastromateus niger)
Sagisi / tikwi - deepwater red snapper (Etelis carbunculus), deepwater longtail red snapper (Etelis
coruscans)
Samaral - goldlined spinefoot (Siganus guttatus)
Salay-salay - yellowstripe scad (Selaroides leptolepis), herring scad (Alepes vari), scad (various - usually
rounder wider scads with yellow marking)
Salay-salay aso / salingga - shrimp scad (Alepes djedaba)
Salay batang / kalapato - yellowtail scad (Atule mate)
Salay+ginto.jpg salay ginto - yellow stripe scad
Sapsap - ponyfish / slipmouth
Silinyasi / tunsoy - fringescale sardinella (Sardinella fimbriata)
Sinarapan - Mistichthys luzonensis
Taksay - toothpony (Gazza minuta)
Talakitok / maliputo - trevally / jack / cavalla (e.g. Caranx ignobilis)
Talakitok.jpg talakitok
Talimusak - maned goby (Oxyurichthys microlepis)
Tambakol - yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus)
Tamban - sardine
Tanigue / tangigue - Narrow-barred Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson), Indo-Pacific king
mackerel (Scomberomorus guttatus), wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri)
Tawilis - freshwater sardinella (Sardinella tawilis)
Tilapia / pla pla - tilapia (e.g. Oreochromis niloticus)
Torsilyo - barracuda
Torsillo.jpg torsilyo/torsillo
Tulingan - kawakawa / mackerel tuna (Euthynnus affinis), bullet tuna (Auxis rochei), frigate tuna (Auxis
thazard)
Other Fish:
Ataba - archerfish
Balo - needlefish
Bolador - flying fish (e.g. Cypselurus opisthopus)
Kansusuit - garfish
Maming - wrasse
Paru-parong dagat - butterflyfish
Mollusks, Crustaceans, and other Shellfish:
Alimasag - crab Portunidae spp. (e.g. blue swimmer crab, Portunus pelagicus), coral crab (Charybdis
feriatus)
Alimango - mud crab
Putian / bulik - Indo-Pacific swamp crab / mangrove king crab (Scylla serrata)
Pulahan - orange mud crab (Scylla olivacea)
Alupihang-dagat - mantis shrimp
Curacha - spanner crab / red frog crab (Ranina ranina)
Diwal - Pacific angelwing clam (Pholas Orientalis)
Halaan - clam (e.g. Manila clam / Japanese carpet shell, Ruditapes philippinarum)
Tulya - Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea previously also known as Corbicula manilensis)
Hipon - shrimp (e.g. whiteleg shrimp, Penaeus vannamei)
Swahe / suahe - endeavor prawn (e.g. red endeavor prawn / greasy back shrimp,Metapenaeus ensis)
Kuhol - snail (Pila luzonica)
Pugita - octopus
Pusit - squid
Pusit Bisaya - smaller pink-speckled squid (Indian squid - Loligo duvauceli [?])
Pusit lumot - larger dark-speckled squid (bigfin reef squid - Sepioteuthis lessoniana[?])
Sugpo - prawn (e.g. Penaeus monodon)
Susô - snail
Tahong - mussel (e.g. Perna viridis)
Talaba - oyster (e.g. Crassostrea iredalei)
Talangka - shore crab (Varuna litterata)
Tuyom - sea urchin
Ulang - giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii), crayfish, lobster
Other Sea Creatures and Aquatic Species:
Arosep / lato - sea grape seaweed (Caulerpa lentillifera, Caulerpa racemosa)
Balatan - sea cucumber
Balyena - whale
Bulate - sea worm
Butanding - whale shark (Rhincodon typus)
Dikya - jellyfish
Guso - seaweed (e.g. Eucheuma spp.)
Pagi - ray
Pating - shark
Notes
In the Philippines fish are called isda. There are many varieties of fish. The country's tropical climate
and coral reefs make its waters located near the center of the Coral Triangle among the richest in
marine life anywhere providing a bounty of fresh Philippine seafood and an assortment of tropical fish.
According to some estimates 5% of the world's reef area is in Philippine waters and the marine fish in
the area represent 20% of the total marine fish in the world.
Fishing is an important source of livelihood for many Filipinos. In 1998 around 3% of the country's labor
force was involved in the Philippine fishing industry which contributed to about 3.6% of the GDP
composition. Commercial fishing operations produce most of the catch but a growing percentage
comes from aquaculture / mariculture. An ordinary Filipino consumes around 98.6 grams of fish or fish
products a day making it the primary source of protein in the Filipino diet. The Philippines being a
predominantly Christian nation, fish are especially popular during Lent.
The best time to buy fish is early in the morning. Philippine fishing boats bring their catch to places like
the Navotas Fish Port Complex (the largest in the country) while it is still dark. From there fish are
distributed to local markets.
Philippine+Fish.jpg
Maya-maya, Samaral, and Pampano
Naming of Philippine Fish
Filipino fish names can get confusing very quickly. Different names can be given to the same fish and a
name can be applied to multiple fish—and that's just in the same dialect and region. Given the various
Philippine languages and the disparate islands comprising the archipelago, custom and usage varies and
contradictions frequently crop up. In Metro Manila, Tagalog is the dominant language but because of
the influx of people from the provinces, local names and regional names from other parts of the country
like the Visayas or Ilocos or even other Tagalog provinces with their own name variants are sometimes
used in Manila wet markets.
Alumahan can apparently be used in some places to refer to Rastrelliger brachysoma as well as
Rastrelliger kanagurta but my local fishmonger will say that is simply wrong and that the two are distinct.
On the other hand he will accept that different Philippine fish species can each be called salay-salay.
Kalapato is an alternative name not only for certain salay-salay but also talakitok.
Some sources seem to indicate that talakitok and maliputo largely refer to the same species, but others
make a distinction. According to one explanation, talakitok grows in seawater while maliputo grows in
freshwater. Maliputo seems to have a reputation for being a good food fish comparable to that of the
maya-maya that talakitok does not.
Lapad translates as wide in Filipino and is often used to describe and differentiate Caesio cuning
fromPterocaesio digramma—dalagang bukid (lapad) and dalagang bukid (bilog) respectively. But lapad
is also used as a common name for various short flat and wide sardinellas like Sardinella albella,
Sardinella brachysoma, and Sardinella fimbriata; although in those cases it may also be to differentiate
them fromtamban, narrower and rounder sardines. Even though a source I'm looking at says lawlaw
and silinyasi refer to different sardinella, I wouldn't be surprised if in practice the terms along with lapad
and tunsoy are actually being used interchangeably for the similar looking fish species. Tawilis is also
used for these sardinella but it is a name probably most properly reserved for the Philippine freshwater
fish specie endemic to Lake Taal. Sardines are popular fish for canning, smoking and drying. Tinapa is
the Filipino term for smoked fish whiletuyo is the Filipino word for dry and is also used for dried fish. The
town of Rosario, Cavite previously called Salinas (derived from sal Spanish for salt) is known for its
tinapa and tuyo, so smoked or dried fish are sometimes referred to as salinas.
According to sources danggit refer to rabbitfish, spinefoots, and members of the family Siganidae in
general and can thus be applied to samaral. But in my local wet market at least danggit refers to what
looks like mottled spinefoot (Siganus fuscescens) and samaral refers pretty specifically to orangespotted spinefoot (Siganus guttatus). [Which may also be goldlined spinefoot (Siganus lineatus). The
two species seem to interbreed and may be one and the same.] Then again some consider the samaral
a malaga while others seem to consider them distinctly different fish. Elsewhere in the Philippines,
members of the Siganidae family can also be called kitang; while in my area kitang is the name for scats
which are in the family Scatophagidae.
The names tulingan and tambakol, both often referring to bluish-tinged tuna, are sometimes
interchanged with one another or used to refer to tuna in general. But tulingan usually refers to smaller
tuna whiletambakol gets applied to larger ones. Bariles is another common fish name, taken from the
Spanish word forbarrel, that is used for large tuna. Tatampal is one name used for flounder but has also
been seen to refer to mantis shrimp.
Restaurants
In paluto restaurants with fresh or live fish to select from, maya-maya and lapu-lapu are popular
premium fish choices. A Philippine fish recipe that would work well with these fish is to cook them
escabeche. Red tilapia, sometimes presented as "kingfish", has also been observed in some fish and
seafood restaurants. It's a possibly misleading fish since its red pigmentation may lead those unfamiliar
with it to mistake it formaya-maya, and "kingfish" is a designation that has been used for tanigue, but
red tilapia is not as highly valued as either of those fish. Red tilapia is a hybrid fish created by fish
farmers. Tilapia is an introduced species in the country grown in fish cages and fish ponds largely used
in aquaculture because of its fast reproduction leading it to be called "chicken of the sea".
Red+tilapia.jpg red tilapia
At restaurants where fresh or live fish are not available, the usual unspecified nameless white fish in
fillet form that has apparently become the default is the so-called "cream dory" also called "river
cobbler". This is actually a fish from the family Pangasius, imported and usually described elsewhere as
Vietnamese catfish with the names swai, basa, or tra referring to different species. At Filipino
restaurants bangus is usually available somewhere in the menu. Blue marlin also pops up with some
frequency as does gindara. Salmon although imported and more expensive has also become popular.
Risks
Although the Philippine fish identified on the main list are believed to be sold in markets one needs to
take care with unfamiliar fish. One species may be safe while another in the same family may not be.
Even among those fish that are widely eaten some need to be prepared or handled a certain way prior
to cooking and eating for them to be safe. Scombroid fish poisoning with symptoms similar to an
allergic reaction is associated with tunas, mackerels, mahi-mahi, and marlin that have spoiled resulting
in the release of histamines which are unaffected by cooking. There are also reports of ciguatera
poisoning with some species. Red tide toxins are a danger related to harmful algal blooms. The
Philippine government issues red tide alerts from time to time to warn about the harvesting, buying,
selling and eating of seafood from certain areas.
Edited April 30, 2014 by Knowdafish
Like 7
Irenicus
7,700 Irenicus
Posted May 1, 2014
On 5/1/2014 at 6:02 AM, Knowdafish said:
A Philippine fish recipe that would work well with these fish is to cook them escabeche.
It's a toss up, trying to decide between fresh yellow fin tuna kinilaw or escabeche as my favorite local
seafood dish.
Frikken awesome!
Thanks, Mr. Fish.
Like 1
Alfred E. Neuman
5,789 Alfred E. Neuman
Posted May 1, 2014
I had a scatophagus argus in my brackish aquarium who was very entertaining and recognizes his owner.
Tanguige steak seared with olive oil, lemon and tomatoes with black pepper.
Like 3
Monsoon
28,935 Monsoon
Posted May 1, 2014
On 5/1/2014 at 8:48 AM, Irenicus said:
It's a toss up, trying to decide between fresh yellow fin tuna kinilaw
I have always been partial to kinilaw made with tanigue.
Like 2
meylou
426 meylou
Posted May 1, 2014
My all-time favorites: maliputo, lapu-lapu, mahi-mahi, smoked alumahan. I prefer my fish grilled or
broiled.
Thanks for the list. Brought back memories of when I used to go to the public market and bought fish.
Can't wait to to it again - hopefully very soon.
Like 2
Alfred E. Neuman
5,789 Alfred E. Neuman
Posted May 1, 2014
Don't bother eating the freshies, they're just calories. Cooking them need lots of salt and spices to make
them tasty.
hyaku
2,572 hyaku
Posted May 1, 2014
Too long in Japan for me. Eat it raw with wasabi and soy. I only cook fish if its not fresh.
Sea Urchin for me every time I can get it. Spooned straight out of the shell on rice.
Snapper for lunch. It's 'questionable' so its cooking right now. A sprinkle of Laziza fish curry powder
today.
Some nice clams two days ago in cream and garlic sauce with pasta was nice.
Like 2
+RogerDuMond
11,986 RogerDuMond
Posted May 1, 2014
Black tip shark steaks on the grill is a good choice.
Here is another list.
http://www.stuartxchange.org/FishNames.html
Edited May 1, 2014 by RogerDuMond
Monsoon
28,935 Monsoon
Posted May 1, 2014
On 5/1/2014 at 3:28 PM, RogerDuMond said:
Black tip shark steaks on the grill is a good choice.
Here is another list.
http://www.stuartxchange.org/FishNames.html
Read more
Shark tastes good but a negative side is it has some of the highest mercury content of all.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Hy H
1,987 Hy H
Posted May 1, 2014
On 5/1/2014 at 12:46 PM, hyaku said:
Too long in Japan for me. Eat it raw with wasabi and soy. I only cook fish if its not fresh.
Thought Japs are too fastidious about their fish eating habits for having anything but fresh available.
cebubird
5,386 cebubird
Posted May 1, 2014
Guess I'm overlooking it, but what is Cream Dory? I have eaten that a few times and like it.
Back home, drum,(red and black) dolphin, snapper, flounder, grouper, sheepshead and cobia when they
were running were my favorites.
Of course I didn't throw away the sea bass, angel fish,croakers. and other assorted small fish.
If I bought the fish, I'd usually buy flounder.
+RogerDuMond
11,986 RogerDuMond
Posted May 1, 2014
On 5/1/2014 at 4:28 PM, cebubird said:
Guess I'm overlooking it, but what is Cream Dory?
Cream Dory - "Flesh of the catfish belonging to the genus pangasius. A marketing gimmick of a name
used to refer to the white, skinless, boneless, fillets of fish taken from pangasius catfish. Cream refers to
the color of the flesh and the "dory" part makes you think it is a relative of the dory saltwater fish, which
of course it's not.
In truth it's a plentiful, hence extremely cheap, freshwater fish from vietnam and other southeast asian
countries. It's bone structure allows large, pin-bone free, fillets to be removed from it and makes it an
ideal food service fish."
Like 1
agent17
545 agent17
Posted May 1, 2014
On 5/1/2014 at 4:05 PM, Monsoon said:
Shark tastes good but a negative side is it has some of the highest mercury content of all.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Read more
What about small sharks? I've seen small sharks, probably 2 feet long, being sold at the wet market
sometimes. Did they live long enough to accumulate enough mercury?
+Salty Dog
56,841 Salty Dog
Posted May 1, 2014
On 5/1/2014 at 5:38 PM, RogerDuMond said:
Cream Dory - "Flesh of the catfish belonging to the genus pangasius. A marketing gimmick of a name
used to refer to the white, skinless, boneless, fillets of fish taken from pangasius catfish. Cream refers to
the color of the flesh and the "dory" part makes you think it is a relative of the dory saltwater fish, which
of course it's not.
In truth it's a plentiful, hence extremely cheap, freshwater fish from vietnam and other southeast asian
countries. It's bone structure allows large, pin-bone free, fillets to be removed from it and makes it an
ideal food service fish."
Read more
Sure doesn't taste like the catfish I use to eat in Florida.
Best fish I ever had was Halibut.
Edited May 1, 2014 by Salty Dog
Like 2
Alfred E. Neuman
5,789 Alfred E. Neuman
Posted May 1, 2014
Check out youtube videos of thai pangasius farms and you'll never eat it after watching.
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favorites.
Of course I didn't throw away the sea bass, angel fish,croakers. and other assorted small fish.
If I bought the fish, I'd usually buy flounder.
+RogerDuMond
11,986 RogerDuMond
Posted May 1, 2014
On 5/1/2014 at 4:28 PM, cebubird said:
Guess I'm overlooking it, but what is Cream Dory?
Cream Dory - "Flesh of the catfish belonging to the genus pangasius. A marketing gimmick of a name
used to refer to the white, skinless, boneless, fillets of fish taken from pangasius catfish. Cream refers to
the color of the flesh and the "dory" part makes you think it is a relative of the dory saltwater fish, which
of course it's not.
In truth it's a plentiful, hence extremely cheap, freshwater fish from vietnam and other southeast asian
countries. It's bone structure allows large, pin-bone free, fillets to be removed from it and makes it an
ideal food service fish."
Like 1
agent17
545 agent17
Posted May 1, 2014
On 5/1/2014 at 4:05 PM, Monsoon said:
Shark tastes good but a negative side is it has some of the highest mercury content of all.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Read more
What about small sharks? I've seen small sharks, probably 2 feet long, being sold at the wet market
sometimes. Did they live long enough to accumulate enough mercury?
+Salty Dog
56,841 Salty Dog
Posted May 1, 2014
On 5/1/2014 at 5:38 PM, RogerDuMond said:
Cream Dory - "Flesh of the catfish belonging to the genus pangasius. A marketing gimmick of a name
used to refer to the white, skinless, boneless, fillets of fish taken from pangasius catfish. Cream refers to
the color of the flesh and the "dory" part makes you think it is a relative of the dory saltwater fish, which
of course it's not.
In truth it's a plentiful, hence extremely cheap, freshwater fish from vietnam and other southeast asian
countries. It's bone structure allows large, pin-bone free, fillets to be removed from it and makes it an
ideal food service fish."
Read more
Sure doesn't taste like the catfish I use to eat in Florida.
Best fish I ever had was Halibut.
Edited May 1, 2014 by Salty Dog
Like 2
Alfred E. Neuman
5,789 Alfred E. Neuman
Posted May 1, 2014
Check out youtube videos of thai pangasius farms and you'll never eat it after watching.
PREV
1
NEXT
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