Seabass

 

 

Seabass is known by many around the world as Asian Seabass, and Lates calcarifer is its scientific name. Some of the other names it’s called include: Giant Perch, Palmer, Cockup, Bekti, Nairfish, Silver Barramundi and Australian Sea Bass. In the Philippines, its called apahap. 

Seabass' native waters span from Northern Australia up to Southeast Asia and all the way west to the coastal waters of India and Sri Lanka.

Seabass are catadromous fish, which means that they are born in the ocean and live in freshwater — basically the opposite of the salmon. They also are able to live in freshwater, estuaries (where fresh and saltwater meet) and pure saltwater.

All seabass are born male but turns into female when they are three to four years old. This means female barramundi can only be courted by younger male seabass! 

Female seabass can produce 32 million eggs in a season. Their iridescent skin can be seen shimmering through the water during their love dance and Seabass spawns during full moon. 

 

 

Seabass can weigh up to 90 lbs and over feet long and can travel great distances in a lifetime.

A Barramundi’s age is determined by counting growth rings on their scales (much like counting growth rings on a tree).

Juvenile barramundi have a distinguishing characteristic: the presence of a white dorsal head stripe when they’re between one and five centimeters long.

The name barramundi is Aboriginal for “large-scaled silver fish.”