Mangrove Fish
Grunter
They are commonly called grunts, due to their ability to produce loud sounds by rubbing their pharyngeal teeth together.
Javelin Grunter is an excellent eating fish! The soft white meat tastes great baked, fried, or breaded. As far as table fare goes, it doesn't get much better than this.
Anglers often find this fish along sandy or muddy seabeds.
Enter estuaries, may tolerate water with low salinity (brackish waters)
Barramundi
Barramundi is known by many around the world as Asian Seabass
The name barramundi is Aboriginal for “large-scaled silver fish.”
Virtually all barramundi are born male, then turn into females when they are three to four years old. This means female barramundi can only be courted by younger men!
Barramundi live in freshwater, saltwater and estuaries (where fresh and saltwater meet). (there are barramundi in Singapore fresh water reservoirs)
Barramundi are catadromous fish, meaning that they are born in the ocean and live in freshwater — basically the opposite lifestyle of the salmon. However, they also are able to live purely in saltwater.
A Barramundi’s age is determined by counting growth rings on their scales (much like counting growth rings on a tree).
They are commercial farmed in Singapore (Barramundi Asian wants to make a super patented Barramundi)
Sand Bass (Waigieu Seaperch)
This is the deepsea version of the Barramundi, they don’t grow as big as the Barra but taste just as good or even better.
The species is named for Waigeo, an island in Indonesia; the common name is also spelled Waigeo or Weigeu seaperch (not the beef)
Catfish
Catfish are a group of fish named after our furry feline friends because of a distinguishing feature shared by both: whiskers
Catfish are one of the most farmed types of fish (their meat is consumed as delicacy around the world). Some types of catfish (such as Mekong catfish) are critically endangered due to overfishing and pollution of the water.
Smallest species of catfish (banjo catfish) is only 0.39 inches long. Largest species (Mekong catfish) can reach nearly 9 feet in length and 646 pounds of weight.
Entire body of catfish is covered with taste buds that can detect chemicals in the water and respond to touch, so the cat fish gets a taste of you first
Most species of catfish have smooth skin (without scales) covered with mucus. Some species of catfish are able to breathe through their skin.
Some species of catfish produce poison in the glands in the skin that covers dorsal fin. In the case of danger, catfish will release toxin that can induce serious (even fatal) injuries in humans.
Catfish are technically not halal, Scale-less fish is not halal to consume for Muslims.
Threadfin
Their name refers to their pectoral fins, each of which is divided into an upper, normally shaped fin and a lower section consisting of four to seven long, threadlike rays that serve as sensory devices;
With their goggling, oddly placed eyes and their whisker-like pectoral filaments, threadfin are one of the weirder looking Singapore fish species. Quirky looks aside, threadfin are prized table fish and are pursued by all sectors of the fishing community
AKA ‘ngor her’
The ones in the market are usually farmed fish but fed with fish meal instead of pellets, an unsustainable way to produce fish, we need about 4 pound of seafood by catch to produce 1 pound of farmed fish
Threadfin filaments help the fish to find food by picking up vibrations of moving prey such as worms, prawns and crabs hiding in mud and sand. Threadfin have been reported to use their pectoral filaments to herd small fish and prawns into ‘bait balls’ to make them easier to capture.
As ‘hermaphrodites’ threadfin change sex – they start off life as a male and are able to release sperm. However, at a larger size, they change into females and start to produce eggs.
This is an important consideration for fisheries managers, because maintaining a balance of sexes ensures there is enough egg and sperm production to sustain the population
the meat is very fine and it is usually used to make fish porridge for babiesThe better quality threadfins will usually have a golden yellow hue to the skin.
Threadfins are great for steaming and they are often found at either Teochew porridge or Bak Kut Teh stalls selling Teochew style steamed fish. The heads are usually chopped up and fried with bittergourd at Zi Char stalls
Spotted Sicklefish
Sicklefishes are common in estuaries and places with muddy seabed, including offshore waters. They can be found solitary or small groups feeding on what they can scavenge from the seabed. Sea worms and prawn meat works pretty well in catching sicklefishes, but hook size should not be too large when targeting for them as they have small mouth.
they will take full size prawns as well but it takes awhile for them to chew their way through.
Meat quality is average with slight muddy taste. Proper preparation and seasoning can make this fish a good dish and is sometimes served in restaurants.
Also known as Batfish
Stingray
Stingrays are commonly found in the shallow coastal waters of temperate seas.
they spend most of their time lying partially buried on the ocean floor hiding from predators, like sharks, or waiting for prey to swim by
The stingray's coloration commonly reflects the seafloor's shading, camouflaging it from predatory sharks and larger rays.
Scientists don't think they use their eyes for hunting very much though. Like its shark relatives, the stingray is outfitted with electrical sensors, Located around the stingray's mouth, these organs sense the natural electrical charges of potential prey
The stingray's spine, or barb, can be ominously fashioned with serrated edges and a sharp point. The underside may produce venom, which can be fatal to humans, and which can remain deadly even after the stingray's death
While painful, stingray venom isn’t usually deadly unless victims are stung in the chest or abdomen. In ancient Greece, venom was actually extracted from stingray spines for the purpose of being used as an anesthetic by dentists.
Sambal Stingray is a common dish that can be found in Singapore.