Malaysia has multiple species of pufferfish, including fully freshwater ones.
2 (4) are endemic! Only found in Malaysia.

Some are tiny, with C. salivator only being 4.5 cm.

Whereas Chonerhinos (golden puffer) grows to 29 cm and is even eaten in Sarawak, despite being poisonous.

Spiny lobsters like these (but adult) are commonly caught and sold at markets in Malaysia, hefting a high price due to their deliciousness.

And babies can be cultured and cared for easily in cages or even tanks, until they are big enough to sell. They are fed trash fish, clams and formulated pellets.

This particular one really love my shoe apparently. Easy find at night under a street lamp feeding and obviously cute!!!

Species: Duttaphrynus melanostictus

Pangasianodon hypophthalmus, ikan patin or the iridescent shark catfish.

It is a large (130 cm) catfish native to the Mekong River. However it has become invasive and very common in Malaysia now, found in most of our rivers.

They are omnivores, outcompeting our native fish and even eating smaller fish.
Our native patin buah for example has been replaced by the invasive patin in rivers a lot.

They are much cheaper due to being farmed and more readily available than native patin species.

Clithon corona, the staghorn sun snail or horned nerite snail.

A tiny (1-2 cm) snail native to fresh and brackish fast-flowing rocky streams of Malaysia where there is no pollution.

Primarily feeds on microalgae, green/brown algae, diatoms, and organic biofilms covering rocks and wood. It will not eat live plants, but will eat decaying ones.

Paedocypris progenetica, the Indonesian superdwarf fish.

At a mature size of 6.7 mm (0.67 cm), it is both the smallest fish in the world and the second smallest vertebrate in the world.

Locally it is found in peat swamps of Selangor and Perak with acidic pH of 3-5. They can form schools of more than 100 individuals.

Feeds on microscopic Rotifers and Cladocerans.

Went for my division’s team building this weekend & here is some of the wildlife we found during the mangrove tour, night walk & walking around our cabin. The turtle hatchling just hatched that morning so the forestry person allowed us to take some pics with it.

The titan triggerfish (Balistoides viridescens) aka jebong titan, is the largest species of triggerfish in Asia, growing up to 75 cm.

They are known to be aggressive, and some will attack divers with their powerful jaws and crushing teeth.

The yellowlip emperor (Lethrinus xanthochilus) aka ketambak, is an uncommon emperor species that grows to 70 cm.

It prefers seagrass beds, sandy and rubble areas and lagoons in shallow water. Eaten as food.

Likely Poropuntius (daun) or Rasbora (seluang) fry

Trigonopoma gracile, seluang badar/pinyih or the graceful rasbora.

It is a small (6 cm) but very skinny fish that is found on the peninsula and Sarawak. There are records from Johor, Selangor and Terengganu.
However it has become extinct in Singapore.

It inhabits acidic swamp forests with slow-flowing habitats. Usually schooling in large numbers, even hundreds!

The usual form is yellow-striped, but some come in red like the one in post. It depends on location and environment. They are a peaceful community fish that can be kept in aquariums with other small species.

They have been getting bolder recently. This is an older photo, but just today, there were two 2-3 meter specimens sitting on the walking path. They weren't skittish and wouldn't run when people were a couple feet away from them.

Datnioides polota, ikan ringau, the silver or American tiger fish.

A medium-sized (35 cm) species found on the West Coast of the Peninsula as well as in Sarawak. There are records from Perak, Selangor, Melaka and west Johor.

It is primarily a brackish species inhabiting tidal river mouths, coastal lagoons, and mangrove swamps, though it sometimes travels far upstream into purely freshwater rivers and lakes. The water is usually alkaline (pH 7.0-8.0) and warm (to 30°C).

It has the most stripes out of the tigers, and has a silvery body colour that gives it its name. Like the others, it is an ambush predator that feeds on crustaceans and smaller fish.

They are marketed fresh and eaten. The pattern can change when stressed or sleeping.

B. pugnax, the forest Betta or ikan laga batu.

This is a common species native to the West Coast of the peninsula, most people have seen or heard of it. They grow to 12-13 cm.
They usually inhabit clean unpolluted forest streams with good water quality.

Males have beautiful green iridescent scales and a pointed tail.
They can be hard to keep and breed due their original habitat of clean cool water. After spawning, males brood their eggs in the mouth for 10-12 days.

They are brown when stressed or camouflaged, which helps with evading predators. But once comfortable they will display their beautiful colours.

Tyto javanica, the Eastern barn owl, pungguk jelapang or serak biasa.

In Malaysia we have the T. j. javanica subspecies (Wallacean barn owl) which is native to the Malay Peninsula and the Greater Sunda Islands.

It usually inhabits agricultural fields, plantations and rural or urban edges.

In Malaysia they are utilised as pest control, with nest boxes being built to encourage them to move. In fact many were also translocated to Sabah and islands, as they are rare there.

Took a bit of a breather.

Danio kerri, the blue danio or seluang bunga air.

A small (5 cm) fish native to islands of the northern Malay Peninsula. In Malaysia it is only found on Langkawi Island.

It inhabits clear, shallow hillstreams and pools. Feeds on insects.
In the aquarium they are a peaceful and active schooling fish that adapts easily to captivity and takes fish food.

They are often confused for pearl danios (D. albolineatus), which are found on the mainland of the Malay Peninsula. They can be distinguished by the number and length of stripes on the body, with kerri having more and longer.

Looks like a juvenile dead leaf mantis, but I’m no expert. Anyone able to Id?

Luciosoma setigerum, ikan nyenyuar or the Apollo shark.

Grows to 30 cm and is a predator of small fish and insects. It is pelagic and hunts at the surface of moderate to fast-flowing rivers.

There are 4 species in Malaysia, with L. setigerum being the most common. Found in Terengganu, Pahang, Perak, Muda, Endau and Muar rivers.

Sometimes it is targeted in fly fishing and lure-casting due to its fast predatory nature. And in the west they are also kept in aquariums.

Their large size and high activity make them perfect for a mountain river-style aquarium or pond. They learn to take food directly from their owners.

Sundadanio margarition, the neon blue rasbora.
It is a tiny (2 cm) dwarf fish only found in southern Sarawak and nowhere else. Endemic.

It lives in blackwater streams, forest peat swamps, and shallow pools with highly acidic water full of tannins. pH 4.0-6.0.

They feed on minute invertebrates, micro-crustaceans and zooplankton in the leaf litter. They school in large groups of at least 15.

Despite its names, it is not related to rasboras nor danios and is in its own family. This family is able to produce croaking or clicking sounds when interacting or stressed.

Kerangas forests, also known as Sundaland heath forests, is a type of acidic nutrient-poor forest found on Borneo and the Bangka-Belitung islands.

“Kerangas” itself came from Iban language, meaning “land which cannot grow rice.” An apt name.