The roe of the Těrubok (Tělor těrubok) is a highly valued delicacy and the fish are still caught in large quantities near Bĕngkalis (Siak) and the roes dried and salted for export. Cantor writing in 1850, states that 40 years ago the Raja of Siak is said to have obtained an annual revenue of 72,000 guilders from the Těrubok roe industry alone.
The Sělangat of the southern part of the Peninsula is known as Nandong in Penang and Kedah, and as Kěbasi on the East coast. It is also known to the Filipinos as Kabasi. The English or American name for it is the Basling Shad and in Australia a member of the same sub-family is known as the Bony Bream or "Hair-back."
It is a bony little fish but very plentiful and cheap; it is dried and salted in enormous quantities both for local consumption and export.
The Tamban is one of our commonest fish and will eventually be one of our most important and valuable food fishes.
Dr. Cantor who wrote a catalogue of Malayan Fishes in 1850, says of the Tamban bulat: "It is highly valued for its delicate flavour and passes commonly as a sardine": and of the Tamban nipis he writes, "They pass in the Settlements of the Straits under the denomination of Sardines' in imitation of which they are sometimes preserved in oil."
The Moros in the Philippines have the same name Tamban for this fish and Seale writes "Any of these sardines would compare favourably with the species put up in oil on the Pacific Coast."
We continue to import thousands of cases of sardines annually into the Straits and F. M. S., while our seas swarm with sardines.
It is popularly supposed that sardines are preserved in olive oil but I have more than a suspicion that refined coconut oil, sesame or gingelly oil, and other vegetable oils, which are largely exported from the East, return to us with the imported tinned herrings and sardines.
The Bulu ayam and Bilis (Moro: Dilis) are anchovies and sprats.
Stead writing of the Engraulis antipodum of Australia, says, "For all practical and economic purposes there is no difference between our Anchovies and the famous fishes of that name in the Mediterranean Sea."
A glance at the systematic list of members of the herring family will show that we have at least 8 species of Engraulis and 3 species of Stolephorus.
