Fish profile · Latidae
Barramundi
Lates calcarifer
Also called Asian seabass and Giant seaperch
An Indo-West Pacific predator that can live in fresh, brackish and marine water. It is also widely farmed in Southeast Asia, including Malaysia.
Last reviewed 13 October 2026 · 6 sources
- Max length
- 200 cm
- IUCN
- LC
- Least Concern
- In Malaysia
- Native
- Family
- Latidae
- order Perciformes
Category from the IUCN Red List, via GBIF (CC BY 4.0); it may lag the latest Red List assessment.
How big?
Linear scale · person 170 cm
Up to 200 cm.
Where in Malaysia
12 open-licence records · GBIF
How to identify
- Large mouth extending behind the eye
- Rounded tail
- Deep notch separating the spiny and soft parts of the dorsal fin
Look-alikes
Mangrove jackMangrove jack has a snapper-shaped body and conspicuous canine teeth; barramundi has a rounded tail and tiny villiform teeth.
Habitat
Lowland riversLakesMangrovesEstuariesCoastal waters
Rivers, estuaries and coastal waters; breeding takes place in estuarine or coastal habitats.
- Diet
- Mostly fish and crustaceans.
- Native range
- Indo-West Pacific, from the Arabian Gulf to China, Papua New Guinea and northern Australia.
Eating
Widely grown in cages and sold as a food fish in Southeast Asia.
More photos
Sources
Last reviewed 13 October 2026