Fishes
253
Order: Synbranchiformes
Family: Mastacembelidae
Common name: Lesser spiny eel.
Distribution: Southeast Asia: Malaysia,
Thailand, Borneo, and Indonesia.
Habitat: Medium to large-sized rivers;
lowland wetlands and peats.
Description: This species has an upper
body that is yellow. A black line runs
down the middle, and lower body is
usually a mix of white and brown.
Along the backbone of the eel, the dorsal fin is preceded by numerous isolated small spines that can be raised.
The dorsal fin also has many prominent
eyespots along the base. This species
can grow up to 35 cm.
Nutritional Facts
Vitamin A and Minerals (per 100 g Raw
Cleaned Parts, WW)
Vitamin A (RAE)
Ca a
Fe b
Zn b
90
0.4
2.4
1.2
Total effect of vitamin A is expressed in retinol
activity equivalents (RAEs); one retinol equivalent (RE) corresponds to 1 μg retinol, 2 μg
β-carotene, 6 μg β-carotene, and 12 μg of
α-carotene, γ-carotene, or β-cryptoxanthin in
food.
a g.
b mg.
Source: Data from Thilsted (2012).
ORDER: BELONIFORMES (HALFBEAKS, NEEDLEFISHES)
FaMiLy: BeLonidae (needLeFiSheS)
Xenentodon cancila Hamilton 1822
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Beloniformes
Family: Belonidae
Common name: Freshwater garfish.
Distribution: Asia: Sri Lanka and India
(Reyes, 1993l).
Habitat: Marine, freshwater, brackish;
streams and rivers and marshy lowland habitats such as swamps and
oxbows; man-made canals and irrigation channels; temporarily inundated
floodplains.
Description: Body of this species is very
elongated and slightly compressed.
Green-silvery dorsally, grading to whitish below. A silvery band with a dark
margin runs along the side. A series
of four or five blotches is seen on sides
between the pectoral and anal fins in
adults. Dorsal and anal fins have dark
edges. It reaches a length of 40  cm
(Reyes, 1993l).
Nutritional Facts
Proximate Composition (% WW)
Moisture
Ash
Protein
Lipid
79.57
2.02
15.65
2.76
Source: Data from Ahmed et al. (2012).