Freshwater Fish Identification

The list below are fish species caught in Malaysia. Malaysia is situated in the Central Indo-Pacific basin. There are approximately 2250 different species of fish in Malaysia, thanks to the unique geographic location and tropical climate.

Species Group: Miscellaneous freshwater fishes (ISSCAAP 13)

Common Name: Climbing Perch
Scientific Name: Anabas testudineus (Bloch, 1792)
Mandarin Name: 山鯽(Shān zéi), 攀鲈 (Pān lú)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Puyu, Pepuyu






Common Name: Spotted Archerfish
Scientific Name: Toxotes chatareus  (Hamilton, 1822)
Mandarin Name: 查达射水鱼(Chá dá shè shuǐ yú),
Local Malay Name: Sumpit-sumpit, Sumpit Tanda






Common Name: Banded Archerfish, Northern Riflefish
Scientific Name: Toxotes jaculatrix (Pallas, 1767)
Mandarin Name: 射水鱼(Shèshuǐ yú),
Local Malay Name: Sumpit-sumpit, Sumpit Belang






Common Name: Asian Redtail Catfish
Scientific Name: Hemibagrus nemurus (Valenciennes, 1840)
Chinese Name: 白须公 (Bái xū gōng)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Baung, Sobong







Common Name: Catfish
Scientific Name: Mystus nigriceps  (Valenciennes, 1840)
Chinese Name: 白须公 (Bái xū gōng)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Baung Misai, Enge enge






Common Name: Striped Catfish, Sutchi Catfish
Scientific Name: Pangasianodon hypophthalmus  (Sauvage, 1878)
Chinese Name: 苏氏口鲶 (Sū shì kǒu nián), 巴丁(Bā dīng)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Patin, Patin Lawang






Common Name: Tricolor Sharkminnow, Bala Shark, Silver Shark, Tricolor Shark
Scientific Name: Balantiocheilos melanopterus (Bleeker, 1850)
Chinese Name: 黑鳍袋唇鱼 (Hēi qí dài chún yú), 银鲨 (Yín shā)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Ekor Hangus






Common Name: Java Barb, Silver Barb
Scientific Name: Barbonymus gonionotus  (Bleeker, 1849)
Chinese Name: 蓝邦 (Lán bāng)
Local Malay Name: Lampan Jawa






Common Name: Tinfoil Barb, Goldfoil Barb
Scientific Name: Barbonymus schwanenfeldii  (Bleeker, 1854)
Chinese Name: 河蓝邦 (Hé lán bāng)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Kepiat, Lampan Sungai









Common Name: Beardless Barb, Redeye Barb
Scientific Name: Cyclocheilichthys apogon  (Valenciennes, 1842)
Local Malay Name: Temperas, Chemperas, Emperas, Mata Merah





Common Name: Carp, Barb
Scientific Name: Cyclocheilichthys heteronema  (Bleeker, 1854)
Local Malay Name: Temperas, Chemperas, Emperas








Common Name: Hampala Barb
Scientific Name: Hampala macrolepidota  Kuhl & Van Hasselt, 1823
Chinese Name: 水马溜鱼 (Shuǐ mǎ liū yú), 大鱗裂峽魮 (Dà lín liè xiá pí)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Sebarau








Common Name: Hoven's Carp, Mad Barb, Red Finned Cigar Shark, Sultan Fish
Scientific Name: Leptobarbus hoevenii  (Bleeker, 1851)
Chinese Name: 细鲃 (Xì bā), 白苏丹 (Bái sūdān), 苏丹鱼 (Sūdān yú)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Jelawat






Common Name: Hard-lipped Barb, Bonylip Barb, Silver Sharkminnow
Scientific Name: Osteochilus vittatus  (Valenciennes, 1842)
Synonym: Osteochilus hasseltii  (Valenciennes, 1842)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Terbol, Terbul






Common Name: Isok Barb, Jullien's Golden Carp, Seven-line Barb
Scientific Name: Probarbus jullieni  Sauvage, 1880
Local Malay Name: Ikan Temoleh, Temelian






Common Name: River Carp, Malayan Mahseer
Scientific Name: Tor tambra  (Valenciennes, 1842)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Kelah, Semah






Common Name: Yellowtail Rasbora, Southeast Asia Yellowtail
Scientific Name: Rasbora tornieri  Ahl, 1922
Local Malay Name: Seluang Gadang






Common Name: Green Chromide, Pearlspot Cichlid, Banded Pearlspot, Striped Chromide
Scientific Name: Etroplus suratensis  (Bloch, 1790)
Chinese Name: 绿腹丽鱼 (Lǜ fù lì yú)
Remark: Caught in brackish water. Not a native species in Malaysia and Singapore.






Common Name: Nile Tilapia
Scientific Name: Oreochromis niloticus  (Linnaeus, 1758)
Chinese Name: 非洲鱼 (Fēizhōu yú), 尼罗罗非鱼 (Níluó luófēiyú)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Tilapia, Mudjair
Local Hokkien: Hui Chiu








Common Name: Freshwater Angelfish
Scientific Name: Pterophyllum scalare  (Schultze, 1823)
Chinese Name: 大神仙鱼 (Dà shénxiān yú), 艾氏神仙鱼 (Ài shì shénxiān yú)






Common Name: Red Discus
Scientific Name: Symphysodon discus  Heckel, 1840
Chinese Name: 盘丽鱼 (Pán lì yú), 五彩神仙鱼 (Wǔcǎi shénxiān yú)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Discus Merah






Common Name: Pirapitinga, Red-bellied Pacu
Scientific Name: Piaractus brachypomus (Cuvier, 1818)
Chinese Name: 短盖巨脂鲤 (Duǎn gài jù zhī lǐ), 吃人鲳 (Chīrén chāng), 淡水白鲳 (Dànshuǐ bái chāng)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Pacu






Common Name: Red Piranha, Red-bellied Piranha
Scientific Name: Pygocentrus nattereri  Kner, 1858
Chinese Name: 特氏臀点脂鲤 (Tè shì tún diǎn zhī lǐ), 吃人鱼 (Chī rén yú)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Piranha






Common Name: North African Catfish
Scientific Name: Clarias gariepinus  (Burchell, 1822)
Mandarin Name: 胡鲶 (Hú nián), 塘虱 (Táng shī)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Keli, Keli Afrika
Local Hokkien: Thor Sat
Local Teochew: Thow Sak








Common Name: Redtail Catfish
Scientific Name: Phractocephalus hemioliopterus  (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
Mandarin Name: 红尾鲶鱼 (Hóng wěi niányú), 红尾猫 (Hóng wěi māo)
Remarks: Native to Tropical America. The species in Asia is accidentally or deliberately introduced. The Asian Redtail Catfish, Hemibagrus wyckioides has nasal barbels (total four pair of barbels).






Common Name: Sleeper Goby
Scientific Name: Butis gymnopomus  (Bleeker, 1853)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Ubi Puntong






Common Name: Northern Mud Gudgeon
Scientific Name: Ophiocara porocephala (Valenciennes, 1837)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Ubi Belontok








Common Name: Marble Goby
Scientific Name: Oxyeleotris marmorata (Bleeker, 1852)
Mandarin Name: 笋壳鱼 (Sǔn ké yú), 顺壳鱼 (Shùn ké yú), 蓝哥鱼 (Lán gē yú), 林哥鱼 (Lín gē yú)
Local Malay Name: Ketutu, Haruan Hantu, Bakut, Ubi
Local Hokkien: Soon Hock
Remarks: The fish is very active at night.














Common Name: Vermiculated Sailfin Catfish
Scientific Name: Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus (Weber, 1991)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Bandaraya, Ikan Cuci Cermin

Remarks: This species is native to South America but was caught in Skudai River in Malaysia. Probably due to escape during flood at the nearby village.









Common Name: Malayan Leaffish
Scientific Name: Pristolepis fasciata  (Bleeker, 1851)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Patung, Kepar






Common Name: Kissing Gourami
Scientific Name: Helostoma temminkii  Cuvier, 1829
Chinese Name: 吻鲈 (Wěn lú)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Samarinda, Biawan, Tebakang, Temakang, Tembakang






Common Name: Three Spot Gourami
Scientific Name: Trichopodus trichopterus (Pallas, 1770)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Sepat Padi, Sepat Minyak, Sepat Ronggeng






Common Name: Asian Bonytongue, Malayan Bonytongue, Golden Arowana, Asian Arowana
Scientific Name: Scleropages formosus (Müller & Schlegel, 1840)
Mandarin Name: 金龙鱼 (Jīnlóng yú)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Kelisa, Kelesa, Baju Rantai, Siluk (Indonesia), Arwana (Indonesia), Khayangan (Indonesia)
Local Hokkien: Kim Leng Hu








Common Name: Giant Snakehead, Red Toman, Indonesian Snakehead
Scientific Name: Channa micropeltes (Cuvier, 1831)
Mandarin Name: 多曼 (Duō màn)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Toman
Local Hokkien: Toman










Common Name: Emperor Snakehead
Scientific Name: Channa marulioides  (Bleeker, 1851)
Mandarin Name: 似眼鳢 (Shì yǎn lǐ)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Haruan Kerandang, Toman Bunga






Common Name: Snakehead Murrel, Striped Snakehead
Scientific Name: Channa striata (Bloch, 1793)
Mandarin Name: 线鳢 (Xiàn lǐ), 生鱼 (Shēng yú)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Haruan, Toman Paya
Local Hokkien: Lay Hu








Common Name: Asian Swamp Eel
Scientific Name: Monopterus albus (Zuiew, 1793)
Mandarin Name: 黄鳝 (Huángshàn), 鳝鱼 (Shàn yú)
Local Malay Name: Belut
Local Hokkien: Mua










Common Name: Fire Eel
Scientific Name: Mastacembelus erythrotaenia  Bleeker, 1850
Chinese Name: 红纹刺鳅 (Hóng wén cì qiū)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Tilan, Tilan Bara










Common Name: Clown Featherback
Scientific Name: Chitala ornata  (Gray, 1831)
Chinese Name: 饰妆铠甲弓背鱼 (Shì zhuāng kǎi jiǎ gōng bèi yú)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Belida Tompok






Common Name: Bronze Featherback, Asiatic Knifefish, Common Knife Fish, Feather Back, Grey Featherback
Scientific Name: Notopterus notopterus  (Pallas, 1769)
Chinese Name: 弓背鱼 (Gōngbèi yú), 驼背鱼 (Tuóbèi yú)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Belida






Common Name: Guppy
Scientific Name: Poecilia reticulata  Peters, 1859
Mandarin Name: 孔雀魚 (Kǒngquè yú)
Local Malay Name: Ikan Gupi
Local Hokkien: Beekok Hu, Peacock


Male


Female



Notes:

ISSCAAP = International Standard Statistical Classification of Aquatic Animals and Plants

D = Demersal finfishes
Demersal fishes lives in greater depth of oceans. They are also called bottom feeders.

P = Pelagic finfishes
Pelagic fishes are found mostly at shallow depths and their availability decreases with depth as food material and oxygen became scarce.

sp. = Species
spp. = Several Species (Species Plural)

References:

Lauretta Burke, Liz Selig (WRI), and Mark Spalding (2002). Biodiversity of Southeast AsianCoral Reefs in: Reefs at Risk in Southeast Asia. UNEP-WCMC, Cambridge, UK. pp 13

Mohd Azmi Ambak, Mansor Mat Isa, Mohd Zaidi Zakaria and Mazlan Abd Ghaffar (2010) Fishes of Malaysia. Universiti Malaysia Trengganu, Malaysia. Penerbit UMT.

Fishbase. Available at:
http://www.fishbase.org

Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Available at:
http://www.fao.org/fishery/