POMFRETS.
(STROMATEIDAE.)
The Bawal is one of our well known and most popular edible fish and takes a high place among our very best food fishes.
Of the three species known, the Bawal chermin (Stromateus atous) is most esteemed, though all are good.
The Bawal puteh and Bawal itam (S. cinereus) are identical, the fish getting darker as it reaches maturity. A shoal of immature fishes of this species seen on a calm, clear night is a most beautiful sight. In the reflected light of the moon, they look like tiny silvery stars. The Malays call them Bawal bintang. When mature they are a darker gray colour.
The mature Bawal itam are very much better eating than the immature Bawal puteh.
The Bawal tambak (S. niger) is the largest of the family. It grows to a length of two feet and is excellent eating.
These fishes are considered by fishermen the stupidest fish that swim. They have a curious sheep-like habit of huddling together and are also afflicted with a kind of ovine curiosity. They will follow anything that excites their curiosity such as a boat and this habit leads to their capture.
When a shoal is observed the fishermen manoeuvre their boat so as to attract the interest of the fish until they are all following in a compact flock. At the same time the boat is taking a circular course and the net is being shot very quietly. At the right moment all the fishermen raise a tremendous din with clappers and at the same time splash the water with their paddles. The shoal does a perfect right-about turn and each fish dashes headlong into the net.
MURREL.
(OPHIOCEPHALIDAE.)
These fresh-water fishes are provided with a respiratory organ on each side, above and communicating with the gills, which enables them to breath atmospheric air.
They can live for long periods out of water and travel over the land from one piece of water to another. They are useful food fish and well adapted for pond culture provided that the pond is well stocked with the small fish and frogs on which they feed, but if the food runs short, they will go elsewhere.
Day writes, "Jugglers both in India and China exhibit these fishes walking on the land, and children amuse themselves by making them crawl along."
The young as a rule are of a more or less orange or scarlet colour.
