''Leiopotherapon plumbeus'', known commonly as the silver perch,Froese, R. and D. Pauly, Eds
Common names of ''Leiopotherapon plumbeus''.
FishBase. 2013. is a species of

fish Fish are Aquatic animal, aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack Limb (anatomy), limbs with Digit (anatomy), digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and Chondrichthyes, cartilaginous and bony fish as we ...

in the family Terapontidae, the grunters. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

to the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

, where it is called ''ayungin'', ''bugaong'', ''bigaong'', and ''bagaong''.

Description

This species reaches 16 centimeters in maximum length.Froese, R. and D. Pauly, Eds
''Leiopotherapon plumbeus''.
FishBase. 2013.

Behavior

The species exhibits paternal care, as the male guards and tends the eggs.

Uses

The fish is caught and consumed locally as food. It is considered to be one of the most delicious of the native freshwater fish in the Philippines. The supply has run thin due to overharvesting, and it is now rare in markets, making it quite expensive.
innovations-report.com April 29, 2009. The fish is also used to feed

duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form ...

Conservation

Populations have declined due to

overfishing Overfishing is the removal of a species of fish (i.e. fishing) from a body of water at a rate greater than that the species can replenish its population naturally (i.e. the overexploitation of the fishery's existing fish stock), resulting in t ...

. In 1991 it was the most abundant fish in

Laguna de Bay Laguna de Bay ( Spanish for "Lagoon/Lake of Bay"; tl, Lawa ng Bay, ), also known as Laguna Lake, is the largest lake in the Philippines. It is located southeast of Metro Manila, between the provinces of Laguna to the south and Rizal to the ...

, the largest lake in the Philippines; by 2002 it was the third most abundant.

Sedimentation Sedimentation is the deposition of sediments. It takes place when particles in suspension settle out of the fluid in which they are entrained and come to rest against a barrier. This is due to their motion through the fluid in response to the ...

and

pollution Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, th ...

contribute to the population drop in the lake.Santos, B. S. et al. (2010)
Geometric morphometric analysis and gill raker count variation of populations of the endemic Philippine silver perch, ''Leiopotherapon plumbeus'' (Perciformes: Terapontidae).
''The Philippine Agricultural Scientist'' 93(4) The fish is being reared in

captive breeding Captive breeding, also known as captive propagation, is the process of plants or animals in controlled environments, such as wildlife reserves, zoos, botanic gardens, and other conservation facilities. It is sometimes employed to help species tha ...

projects, in which it grows well on a diet of

prawn Prawn is a common name for small aquatic crustaceans with an exoskeleton and ten legs (which is a member of the order decapoda), some of which can be eaten. The term "prawn"Mortenson, Philip B (2010''This is not a weasel: a close look at nature' ...

food and

tubifex worms ''Tubifex'' is a cosmopolitan genus of tubificid annelids that inhabits the sediments of lakes, rivers and occasionally sewer lines. At least 13 species of ''Tubifex'' have been identified, with the exact number not certain, as the species ...

. It is dosed with

hormone A hormone (from the Greek participle , "setting in motion") is a class of signaling molecules in multicellular organisms that are sent to distant organs by complex biological processes to regulate physiology and behavior. Hormones are required ...

s to induce

spawning Spawn is the eggs and sperm released or deposited into water by aquatic animals. As a verb, ''to spawn'' refers to the process of releasing the eggs and sperm, and the act of both sexes is called spawning. Most aquatic animals, except for aquat ...

.Agron, E. B
BAR highlights promising UPLB technology to save endangered fish species.
''BAR Chronicle'' 10(8). August, 2009. Bureau of Agricultural Research.

Gallery

File:Ayungin Buhi.JPG, ''Ayungin'' found in Lake Buhi, Camarines Sur. File:Leiopotherapon plumbeus.jpg, This species, known locally as 'ayungin', is a common food fish in the country.

Description

Behavior

Uses

Conservation

Gallery

References

Further reading