For me, I think saltwater fish have "fishy" (flavors of the ocean) taste while freshwater fish have "muddy" (flavors of the lake/river) taste. When there is an exception, it usually mean those fish moved a lot and freely (big area for moving, move a lot usually are predator fish). Some fish I left out it Cantonese name, Hokkien name & etc.
As such, I will separate type of local fish that I know of into freshwater & saltwater.
Freshwater fishGiant SnakeheadAlso known as : Giant Mudfish / Red or Redline Snakehead
Mandarin name : 多曼 (Duō màn)
Malay name : Ikan Toman
Details:
• It have different look and color throughout it life stage, the name Red or Redline Snakehead refer to when it was still a juvenile where it have red line pattern across its body.
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Usually in Malaysia, they served Toman (most probably sliced or steaked) that look liked this but this Toman are considered as ""teenager" stage of Toman.
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This is what an adult Toman look like.
Common SnakeheadAlso known as : Striped Snakehead / Snakehead Murrel / Chevron Snakehead
Mandarin name : 线鳢 (Xiàn lǐ), 生鱼 (Shēng yú)
Cantonese name: Sang Yu
Hokkien name : Lay Hu
Malay name : Ikan Haruan
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You could see why it is called Striped Snakehead.
Helicopter CatfishAlso known as : Wallago Catfish
Mandarin name : 鲶鱼 (Nian yu)
Cantonese name: Lim Yu / Nim Yu
Malay name : Ikan Tapah
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Image above show the usual/normal Tapah with it scientific name,
Wallago attu.[attachmentid=9525682]
This one is from different species, the
Wallagonia leerii but Malaysian still refer this as Ikan Tapah (I heard some people differentiate this species as Tapah Tembaga, not sure) since it look quite similar. The image is from fishing documentary "River Monsters".
I don't know how to differentiate between the two. Some said
W. attu have pointier dorsal fin (the fin you will see above the water when a shark are coming toward you) than
W. leerii. Some said
W.leerii have darker upper body with clear stripe marking on its side body.
Asian Redtail CatfishMandarin name : 白须公 (Bái xū gōng)
Cantonese name: Pak Sou Gong
Malay name : Ikan Baung
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Iridescent sharkAlso known as : Striped Catfish / Sutchi Catfish / Siamese Shark
Mandarin name : 巴丁(Bā dīng)
Malay name : Ikan Patin
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It is a type of catfish (shark catfish) not a shark. It is named so due to it front head resemble a shark.
Walking CatfishMandarin name : 塘虱 (Táng shī)
Cantonese name: Tong Sat
Hokkien name : Thor Sat
Teochew name : Thow Sak
Malay name : Ikan Keli
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It can do the same thing as snakehead does, breathing oxygen directly from the air and "walk" (snakelike movement) on land. Hence, the name.
Mozambique Tilapia Mandarin name : 非洲鱼 (Fēizhōu yú) in Malaysia, 吳郭魚 (Wu Gu Yu) in Taiwan
Cantonese name: Fei Chow Yu
Hokkien name : Hui Chiu
Malay name : Ikan Tilapia
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Sometime, the Malaysian Chinese call it Hei Fei Zhou (Black Tilapia).
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This is the red tilapia. The Malaysian Chinese called it Hung Fei Zhou (Cantonese) or more popular the Kam Fong Yu (Cantonese) which literally mean
"Golden Phoenix Fish".
The first red one are result of inbreeding (mate with dad, mum or sibling). You know what happen when inbreeding, you get "K" child. So, when you're eating a red tilapia = eating "K" fish.
Marble GobyAlso known as : Gobies / Sleepers Gobies / Sand Goby
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)
Cantonese name: Soon Hock
Hokkien name : Soon Hock
Malay name : Ketutu, Haruan Hantu, Bakut, Ubi, Ikan Malas
Details:
• This fish are active at night and would only move to catch foods in front of their mouth. Hence, earning it Malay name/nickname of Haruan Hantu & Ikan Malas.
• This fish look like a bamboo shell when it is not moving in the water hence earning it Chinese name "Soon Hock" which literally mean bamboo shell.
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Malayan MahseerAlso known as : Greater Brook Carp / Malaysian Mahseer / Thai Mahseer
Mandarin name : 忘不了 (Wàng bù liǎo), 似野结鱼 (Shì yě jié yú)
Malay name : Empurau, Ikan Kelah, Kap Anak Air Besar
Details:
• The fish is reported to be the most expensive edible fish in Malaysia and has been known to fetch up to RM1, 800 to RM2, 000 per kilogram (I heard the price have drop. Most probably farmed and exceed supply).
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2014...rm3000-empurau/http://www.theborneopost.com/2015/03/17/em...-auction-in-hk/• The fish was marketed by a Sarawakian named James Wong a.k.a Malaysia River Fish Expert/King till it was introduced by a Taiwan/Hong Kong food show (not sure if it was a cooking show or something like our 8tv Ho Chak).
• Noted that it is different from Peninsular Malaysia version of Ikan Kelah which usually called Kelah Merah.
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Hoven’s CarpAlso known as : Mad Barb / Sultan Fish
Mandarin name : 苏丹鱼 (Sū dān yú)
Malay name : Ikan Jelawat, Ikan Sultan
Details:
• The name Mad Barb refers to its behaviour when apparently intoxicated after consuming some types of poisonous fruit. This diet of poisonous fruits causes its flesh become occasionally toxic.
• It is also called Sultan Fish because it used to be served only to the sultans and royals.
• The section above its head is flat. It has silver coloured greenish back and belly with silvery white colour.
• On its pectoral fins and its stomach contained red colour, curved side streaks and down. At the ends of the tail’s underside is red colour.
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Jullien’s Golden CarpAlso known as : Seven-Striped Barb / Carpilla Ikan Temoleh
Mandarin name : 国宝鲤 (Guó bǎo lǐ), 独目鲤 (Dú mù lǐ)
Malay name : Ikan Temoleh, Temelian
Details:
• In Malaysia, this fish could only be found in Perak River and Pahang River but many would prefer the one from Pahang River.
• It is one of two (2) critically endangered Malaysian freshwater fish. The second being Arowana.
• While it is legally protected in Laos where it is forbidden to catch, trade or transport the species, the protection of this fish in Malaysia is still in grey area.
• This fish have many noticeable characteristics such as longitudinal stripes above its lateral line and maxillary barbels (whisker like appendages near its mouth) to feel its surrounding.
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Asian Swamp EelAlso known as : Swamp Eel / Rice Eel / White Ricefield Eel
Mandarin name : 黄鳝 (Huángshàn), 鳝鱼 (Shàn yú)
Cantonese name: Sin, Maan Yu
Hokkien name : Mua
Malay name : Belut
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Asian Sea BassAlso known as : Giant Sea Perch / Barramundi
Mandarin name : 尖吻鲈 (Jiān wěn lú), 金目鲈 (Jīn mù lú), 盲槽 (Máng cáo), 石甲 (Shí jiǎ)
Cantonese name: Seck Kap
Hokkien name : Kim Bak Lor
Malay name : Ikan Siakap
Details:
• Barramundi is a loanword from an Australian Aboriginal language of the Rockhampton area in Queensland meaning “large-scaled river fish”.
• Despite it name of Asian Sea Bass, this fish are catadromous which mean the fish spends most of their life on fresh water and migrating to salt water in order to breed. However, there have been recorded reports of populations that spend their entire life cycle in salt water or in brackish water.
• Easy identifiable by its golden-coloured opaque eye that looks like a cataract, hence the Chinese name 金目鲈 (Jin Mu Lu) literally mean ‘Golden-Eyed’ Bass.
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