Siargao Island - Local Fish

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Contents

Fish Listed on Local Public Market List

Other Local Fish Not on Market List

Comparative Prices - Fish vs Other Protein

Comment

Back to: Fishing Study

Seashore Foraging & Fishing Study

Local Fish - Siargao Island

This may take a little time - there are about 200 photos to load

This shows the sheer abundance and variety of exotic and very edible fish in a tropical lagoon and adjacent open ocean even now, when, as is every other fishing ground worldwide, it is heavily over-fished. But it is not intended to be a detailed fish-watcher's list.

This is a draft (as at 08 May, 2006 ); the list will be expanded, and holes will be plugged, as more information becomes available. It's more than likely that some local fish names are identified wrongly (and some not at all yet) but this is not the point of the exercise.

If the dead fish looks very different than the live fish, then the identification is still wrong. If the dead fish looks very dead indeed, but similar to the live one, then it just shows how tropical fish lose their brilliance and their colour when they die.

Because the page has changed almost daily, with additions, etc, there is no particular order, except that fishes price-controlled at the local market come first.

Because local fish are caught fresh, and hand-carried straight home, or to the local public market, local fish prices are considerably lower than they are in the cities of the Philippines, and much lower than any other protein sources - see Comparative Prices - Fish vs Other Protein.

Fishing Zone

1-Mangrove

2-Seagrass bed

3-Back reef

4-Upper fringing reef

5-Deep fringing reef

6-Pelagic - open sea

Surigaonon Name	Class Price	*Species Name*	Fishbase Photo	Local Photo
Adlo		Black Skipjack Euthynnus linea
Agwas		Mullet spp *Liza vaigiensis*
Aha-An	2nd P60	Blubberlip snapper *Lutjanus rivulatus*		1,2,4,5,6,7
Aha-An	2nd P60	Midnight snapper *Macolor macularis*		1,2,4,5,6,7
Andohaw	2nd P60
Baghak	1st P70	White-edged lyretail Variola albimarginata		1,2,4,6,7
Bakay	3rd P50	Threadfin Bream *Nemipterus sp.*
Bangkawon (Small)	3rd P50
Batagon (Big)	3rd P50	?
Bayo (Small)	3rd P50	Banded needlefish *Strongylura leiura*		1,3,4,5,6,7
Bangsi	4th P45	Flying Fish *Cypselurus sp.*
Bayo	4th P45	Reef needlefish *Strongylura incisa*
Bokawan	4th P45	Lattice soldierfish *Myripristis violacea*		4,6
Baga-Baga
Bolinaw	4th P45	Anchovies *Stolephorus spp*
Buntog	4th P45	Marbled Parrotfish Leptoscarus vaigiensis		1,4,6,7
Boroson (Small)	4th P45	?
Dagpok	4th P45	?
Adlo	2nd P60	Oxeye Scad *Selar boops*		6
Botete (Big)	2nd P60	Starry Toadfish (Pufferfish) Arothron stellatus R. kanagurta *per RoS*
Boras (Big)	2nd P60	Golden Lined Spinefoot *Siganus lineatus*		1,3,4,5,6,7
Bayo (big)	2nd P60	Blackspot Long Tom Tylosurus strongylurus
Bodloy or Caraballas	2nd P60	King Mackerel *Scomberomorus cavalla*		1,3,4,5,6,7
Bodloy		Decapturus kurroides
Caraballas	2nd P60	Streaked Seerfish Scomberomorus lineolatus		1,3,4,5,6,7
Boroson (Big)	2nd P60	Great barracuda *Sphyraena barracuda*		1,3,4,5,6,7
Danggit (big)	2nd P60	Little Spinefoot *Siganus spinus*
Dalilan (Small)	4th P45	Flatfish *Crossorhombus sp.*	Big gangis
Danggit (Small)	4th P45	White-spotted spinefoot *Siganus canaliculatus*
Dayapugan	4th P45	Orbicular batfish *Platax orbicularis*		1,4,6,7
Dayapugan	4th P45	Six-Banded Angelfish Pomacanthus sexstriatus
Dayapugan	4th P45	Tiera batfish *Platax teira*		1,4,6,7
Dayapugan	4th P45	Ninespine batfish Zabidius novemaculeatus
Amampang	4th P45	Spadefish *Ephippus oporbis*
Domod-Ot	4th P45	Silver-stripe round herring *Spratelloides sp.*		6
Bolis	3rd P50	Skipjack tuna *Katsuwonus pelamis*		1,3,4,5,6,7 Probably the most available fish in town - anybody's
Bahu-Bahu	4th P45	Frigate mackerel *Auxis thazard*
Bangkulisan	1st P70	?
Bangos	1st P70	Milkfish *Chamos chamos*		Brackish Fishponds
Bariles	1st P70	Yellowfin Tuna *Thunnus albacares*		1,3,4,5,6,7
Barileson 'Yellowfin'	1st P70	Bigeye Tuna Thunnus obesus		1,3,4,5,6,7
Danggit	1st P70	Vermiculated Spinefoot *Siganus vermiculatus*
Dugso	1st P70	Yellow grouper *Epinephalus awoara*		1,2,4,6,7
Gapas-Gapas (Big)	1st P70	Saw Jawed Monocle Bream Scolopsis ciliata		1,2,4,6,7
Katambak (Big)	1st P70	Spangled emperor *Lethrinus nebulosus*		1,4,5,6,7
Katambak (Big)	1st P70	Trumpet emperor *Lethrinus miniatus*		1,4,5,6,7
Mamsa (Big)	1st P70	Black Jack *Caranx lugubris*
Lumpian	1st P70	Painted Sweetlip *Plectorhynchus pictus*		1,2,4,5,6,7
Lambi-an	1st P70	Longfin Trevally		1,2,4,5,6,7
Maja-Maja	1st P70	Humpback red snapper *Lutjanus gibbus*		1,2,4,5,6,7
Malasugi Dugho	1st P70	Black marlin *Makaira indica*		1,3,4,5,6,7
Malasugi Dugho	1st P70	Indo-Pacific blue marlin *Makaira mazara*		1,3,4,5,6,7
Mamsa	1st P70	Giant trevally *Caranx ignobilis*		1,3,4,5,6,7
Langog	1st P70	*Carangoides chrysophrys*
Mamsud	1st P70	Longfin Cavalla *Carangoides armatus*		1,3,4,5,6,7
Mamulinay	1st P70	?
Manlawaan	1st P70	?
Nokos	1st P70	Squid Loligo spp
Nokos Cigarillos
Pamiligwison (big)	1st P70	Goldspotted Spinefoot Siganus punctatus
Pogapo Baghak	1st P70	Coral hind *C. miniata*		1,2,4,6,7
Tanguigue	1st P70	Narrow-Barred Spanish Mackerel *Scomberomorus commerson*		1,3,4,5,6,7
Timbongan (Big)	1st P70	Manybar goatfish ? Parupeneus multifasciatus		6
Timbongan (Big)		Doublebar goatfish Parupeneus trifasciatus
Ilahan (Big)	2nd P60	One Spot Snapper *Lutjanus monostigma*		1,3,4,5,6,7
Langog -Langog	2nd P60	Dusky Jack *Caranx sexfasciatus*		1,3,4,5,6,7
Liplipan	2nd P60	Sailfish *Istiophorus Sp*		1,3,4,5,6,7
Bangkawon (Big)	2nd P60	Marbled Spinefoot Siganus rivulatus
Oyong-Oyong	2nd P60	Threadfin Bream Nemipterus sp
Pak-An	2nd P60	Megalaspis cordyla
Pangtao	2nd P60	?
Salindato	2nd P60	Rainbow runner *Elagatis bipinnulata*		1,3,4,5,6,7
Sayabo	2nd P60	?
Tamboyang	2nd P60	?
Tya-Iwan (Big)	2nd P60	?
Doto	3rd P50	Spotfin Pufferfish *Diodon hystrix*
Ganghawan	3rd P50	?
Gangis (Big)	3rd P50	*Naso annulatus*
Halwantasik	3rd P50	?
Hawol-Hawol	3rd P50	Smoothbelly Sardinella *Ambyogaster leiogaster*		6
Hilok	3rd P50	?
Puya-Ilok	3rd P50	Orangespot surgeonfish Acanthurus olivaceus
Ilahan (Small)	3rd P50	Dory snapper *Lutjanus fulviflamma*		1,2,4,5,6,7
?	3rd P50	Lined Silver Grunt *Pomodasys hasta*		1,2,4,5,6,7
Katambak (Small)	3rd P50	Pink Ear Emperor Lethrinus lentjan
Lagatan (Big)	3rd P50	Purple-spotted Bigeye *Priacanthus tayenus*
Lahos	3rd P50	Dogfish spp Atelomycterus marmoratus
Lapis-Lapis	3rd P50	Yellow Queenfish *Scomberoides lysan* *Scomberoides tala*
??? (Big)	3rd P50	False Trevally *Lactarius lactarius* or Yellowtail Scad Atule mate
Lila	4th P45	Redbelly Yellowtail Fusilier Caesio cuning
Lipti (Big)	3rd P50	Harlequin sweetlips *Plectorhinchus chaetodonoides*		6
Loyo-Abon (small)	3rd P50	?
Maja-Maja (Small)	3rd P50	?
Pamiligwison (Small)	3rd P50	?
Panapsapan Sapsapayan	3rd P50	Yellowbanded sweetlips *Plectorhinchus lineatus*		6
Sili	3rd P50	Peters' monocle bream *Scolopsis affinis*		1,4,5,6,7
Suyahan (Big)	3rd P50	Bluespine unicornfish *Naso unicornis*		1,6,7
Tayang -Tayang	3rd P50	Dolphin fish Mahi-Mahi *Coryphaenus hippurus*
Tayos (Big)	3rd P50	Tropical Halfbeak *Hyporhamphus affinis*
Indangan	4th P45	Striated surgeonfish *Ctenochaetus striatus*		1,6,7
Kuyobotan (Uyo)	4th P45	Cuttlefish Cuttlefish spp
Lagatan	4th P45	Toothed Ponyfish *Gazza minuta*
Latab	4th P45	Silverbiddy *Gerres spp*
Lipti (Small)	4th P45	Blackspotted rubberlip (Sweetlips) Plectorhinchus spp (Shown: Plectorhinchus gaterinus)
Loyo-Abon	4th P45	Marbled Spinefoot Siganus rivulatus
Mandayagit	4th P45
Mongit	4th P45	Surgeonfish spp Striated surgeonfish Zebrasoma scopas Acanthurus nigroris		1,6,7
Ubod	4th P45	Moray spp Gymnothorax spp
Pananglitan	5th P40	Moray Eel Gymnothorax spp
Abo-Abo	5th P40	??
Payad (Big)	4th P45	Indo-Pacific Oval Flounder *Bothus myriaster*		6
Sibog
Suyahan	4th P45	Bluespine unicornfish *Naso unicornis*		1,6,7
Barungoy	5th P40	Flying fish spp (small) *Cypselurus spp*
Batagong (small)	5th P40	?
Bengkungan	5th P40	Scalloped hammerhead *Selaroides leptolepis*		1,3,4,5,6,7
Bokawon (Small)	5th P40	*Gerres sp*
Hanga	5th P40	?
Ibis	5th P40	Glassyfish *Ambassis sp*
Iho	5th P40	Spottail shark *Carcharinus. sorrah*		1,2,6
Iho	5th P40	Whitetip reef shark *Triaenodon obesus*		1,2
Iho ng Tutongan	5th P40	Blacktip reef shark *Carcharhinus melanopterus*		1,2,6
Ito	5th P40	Striped eel catfish Plotosus lineatus The highly venomous serrate spine of the first dorsal and each of the pectoral fins are dangerous, and even fatal in rare cases		1
Kubayan	5th P40	*Gnahanodon speciosus*		6
Moymoy	5th P40	Parrotfish Spp Scarus spp. (Mostly boring little brown ones)		6,7
Sirokboy		Parrotfish Spp
Pague	5th P40	Blue spotted stingray *Dasyatis kuhlii*		1,2,6
Sangkay	5th P40	Titan triggerfish *Balistoides viridescens*		7
Pugot	5th P40	Clown triggerfish *Balistoides conspicillium*	7	4,5
Sangkay		Yellowmargin triggerfish *Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus*
Tikos	5th P40
Pugot	5th P40	Starry Triggerfish *Abalistes stellaris*
Sulid - No *red on top*	5th P40	Bleeker Smoothbelly Sardinella *Amblygaster clupeiodes*		6
Sulid	5th P40	Caesio erythrogaster per RoS
Tadlungan	5th P40	Shovelnose Ray *Rhynchobatus djiddensis*
Tahogok	5th P40		Octopus
Tamaya-Us	5th P40		Octopus
Tamban	5th P40	Sardine spp *Dussumeria sp*
Tambud
Tumbat		?
Tayad	5th P40	Cigar Wrasse Cheilio inermis
Saguk-sok, Tikus	5th P40	Yellow-finned leather jacket *Alutera monoceros*


Other Local Fishes Not on Market List Ilahan-Lawihan *This is a small trevally - only about 8" long - but so beautiful and so tasty I couldn't resist putting its portrait in*
Banasay		Lined Surgeonfish *Acanthurus lineatus*
Bangyos		Fourfinger Threadfin *Eleutheronema tetradactylum*
Bantoy		Scorpion Fish Sebastes sp
Bobatangon
Bugarol
Buktot		Emperor Red Snapper *Lutjanus sebae*
Buyan -Buyan		Dorab Wolf-Herring *Chirocentrus dorab*
Damyud		(Blue) Parrotfish *Scarus rubroviolaceus*
Batagon		(Blue) Parrotfish
Diwit-Diwit		Largehead hairtail *Trichiurus lepturus*		1,3,5,6,7
Eloy				This strange-looking fish was caught, unawares, by a local cameraman with a photo-fixing computer program (note: No other photos have been 'enhanced' - much)
Gunting -Gunting		Bigeye Snapper *Lutjanus lineolatus*		1,2,4,5,6,7
Halyubong		Wrasse sp Anampsis sp?
Hiringgero
Ipos-Ipos		Wrasse spp *Cheilinus spp ??*
Ibis		Black Mullet *Epigonus pandionis*
Lapu-lapu		Bluelined hind *Cephalopholis formosa*		1,2,4,6,7
Lapu-lapu		Peacock hind *Cephalopholis argus*		1,2,4,6,7
Lapu-lapu		Halfmoon grouper *Ephinephalus rivulatus*		1,2,4,6,7
Lapu-lapu		Areolate grouper *Ephinephalus areolatus*		1,2,4,6,7
		Speckled blue grouper *Ephinephalus cyanopodus*		1,2,4,6,7
		Greasy grouper *Ephinephalus exfaciatus*		1,2,4,6,7
		Yellow grouper *Ephinephalus awoara*		1,2,4,6,7
		Highfin grouper *Ephinephalus maculatus*		1,2,4,6,7
		Honeycomb grouper *Ephinephalus merra*		1,2,4,6,7
		Chocolate hind *Cephalopholis boenak*		1,2,4,6,7
		Bluespotted hind *Cephalopholis cyanostigma*		1,2,4,6,7
		Starspotted grouper *Ephinephalus hexagoonatus*		1,2,4,6,7

		Small bright Wrasse spp *Halichoeres spp*
		Wrasse sp Choerodon anchorago

		Humphead Wrasse *Cheilinus undulatus*		Almost extinct on most reefs worldwide - essential as protection against Crown-of -Thorns starfish
		Spotted Silverfish *Drepane punctata*


		Indian halibut *Psettodes erumei*
		Seagrass Razorfish *Novaculichthys macrolepidotus*
		Two Spot Razorfish *Xyrichtys bimaculatus* *Xyrichthys sp?*
		Spotted eagle ray *Aetobatus narinari*		1,2,3,5,6
		Banded whip-tail sting ray *Daryatis Gerrardi*
		Imbricated stingray *Daryatis imbricatus*
Payata

		Ornate Threadfin Bream *Nemipterus hexodon*
Sahoy		Any Damsel fish *Dascyllus spp*
Timbogan Salmunete		Indian goatfish *Parupeneus indicus*		5,6,7
Sabyay Salmunete		Asymmetrical goatfish *Upeneus asymmetricus*		5,6,7
Sayapsapan		Sweetlip spp *Plectorhynchus sp*
Sunob		Spotted flathead *Thysanophrys crocodilus*
Tabili Dagat		Brushtooth Lizardfish *Saurida undosquama*		1
Tabili Dagat		Shortfin Lizardfish *Saurida micropectoralis*
Tapay Tapay		Butterflyfish spp *Chaetodon spp*
Talakitok Langog		Blackfin Jack
Tigi
Tuyas		Samurai Squirrelfish Sargocentron ittodai		4,6

Comment:

Seashore Foraging & Fishing
Just another name for Hunting & Gathering - but it's certainly more widespread than dry-land hunting today (and in the past) - and it's a lot easier. Shame so very few archaeologists study fishing remains.
Ubiquity of Featured Fish
These fish, or their very close relatives, are available world-wide in the Tropics. They would have been just as available to our coast-living ancestors. Almost identical fish inhabit the seas from Madagascar to Easter Island, the same 'Province' as 'Indo-Pacific' sea shells.
At a later stage, after a lot more direct observation, I will re-organise this fish list according to fishing method, emphasising the most primitive methods, that any half-wit (ie Homo erectus) could have used, a million years ago.
Local Tastes
Tayang-Tayang - Dolphinfish or Mahi-Mahi (or the celebrated Llampuga in the Mediterranean) is classed in the town as only a 3rd class fish - mainly because it doesn't keep well without refrigeration.
Bolis - Skipjack Tuna, ranks as low. It's an abundant schooling pelagic fish, and perhaps the most abundant large fish in the local market. It is very reliable, honest and very, very boring. Somebody went out, alone, in a boat the size of a boating-pond skiff, at 6am, about 12km out into the ocean, to troll all day for that very boring fish.
Many of the 1st class fish (eg Lapu-Lapu, Katambak) are large, non-schooling fish, which have to be truly hunted, usually with a spear-gun. They are uncommon, and sometimes, there may be only one or two per reef. No fish-hunter, any more than the classical big game hunter, can absolutely rely on more than luck to catch anything, so they are very difficult to catch. Why do they hunt at all ?
Specificity of Names
Many local names apply to one species only, (these are usually more common), but others (such as Lapu-Lapu) apply to many similar members of a family. Names vary very widely throughout the Philippines, sometimes between neighbouring towns.
Some local fish species are unidentifiable (exactly) from Fishbase , so I have shown a close Fishbase relativeas well as a local photograph. Again this is not an ichthyological study.
The oft-mentioned observation that local people name fish, plants and animals, and group them very similarly to scientific taxonomy is very evident. The very fact that this has been surprising enough to be noted by anthropologists is merely a reflection of our 'European' bias.
Colour Changes
All fish lose a certain lustre when they die, but certain Spinefoots and Surgeonfish seem to have a coating (algae? mucus?) that darkens so much you cannot recognize the original colour, except if the pectoral fin, close to the body, has protected the original skin colour & pattern. Confusing, as you may imagine. Compare these two Unicornfish (Gangis) of the same species, alive and dead.


Methodology
Of course, this is highly scientific, in the best tradition:
It is not usually done for professional scientists to enumerate the often haphazard methods they use to obtain the data they use to reach their unimpeachable conclusions, (ones which they've usually reached before they start research). As I'm strictly an amateur, I don't need to adhere to professional etiquette. In the best tradition, I've reached certain conclusions long before I started this research. Before I started, I knew damn-all about fish, so I've learned a lot.

1	Show people Thai fish chart and ask them to label fish (Nov 2004)	Resolve arguments
2	Transcribe market fish chart & try to match it with Thai fish chart
3	Use Fishbase in conjunction with Thai fish chart to identify fish
4	Print out resulting illustrated list and get local people to correct mistakes	Resolve arguments - Tell jokes - Re-enact Monty Python sketches, etc - Generously supply rum, rice and fish and try to explain why this is really serious
5	Continuing....	Tie up loose ends, but ensure that data fits my original hypothesis (without overt faking).

Comparative Local Prices per kilo
Chicken	P120	US$2.40
Chicken (Live)	P80	US$1.60
Pork	P120	US$2.40
Pork (Live)	P50	US$1.00
Carabao Beef	P140	US$2.80
Cow Beef	P180	US$3.60
Shrimp (Small)	P150	US$3.00
Shrimp (large)	P190	US$3.80
Mud Crab	P180	US$3.60
Lobster	P1000	US$20
Locally-caught fish	P40-70	US$0.80-1.40

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Richard Parker - Siargao Island - November 2004 (Last updated Monday, May 08, 2006)

I welcome comments or corrections on my site and opinions, so please feel free to email me at: richardparker01@yahoo.com