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| NAS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species |
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Common Name: milkfish
Taxonomy: available through 
Identification: A few distinguishing characteristics and a discussion of similar species were given by Eschmeyer et al. (1983). A photograph and distinguishing characteristics were given in Burgess and Axelrod (1974). This fish's taxonomy and morphology have been summarized recently by Bagarinao (1994). The species resembles a toothless herring with a deeply forked tail fin.
Size: 150 cm.
Native Range: Tropical marine. Widespread in Pacific and Indian oceans from the
eastern coast of Africa to the tropical western coast of the Americas
(Berra 1981; Bagarinao 1994).
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Nonindigenous Occurrences: These fish were stocked by the state into a small stream at Bridgeport, Solano County, California, in 1877; however, there were no records of survival (Smith 1896; Shapavalov et al. 1981).
Means of Introduction: The Solano County, California, introduction of 1877 consisted of about 100 fish from Hawaii (in exchange for salmon and trout eggs) that were stocked by the California Fish and Game Commission (Duffy and Bernard 1985).
Status: An attempt by the state to stock these fish in inland waters of California in 1877 apparently failed. Other records are from coastal marine habitats; furthermore, these reports most likely represent natural strays and not introductions.
Impact of Introduction: Unknown.
Remarks:
Hubbs et al. (1979) listed Chanos chanos as having been
introduced but not established in California. However, Berra (1981) and
Bagarinao (1994) included the California coast in the species' native
range. Reports of milkfishes from San Pedro and San Diego bays in 1929
and 1979 and between 1982 and 1983 are likely the result of natural
strays from Mexican populations (Duffy and Bernard 1985; Bagarinao
1994). There is no mention of Chanos chanos in inland waters of California by Moyle (1976a) or by Swift et al. (1993).
Voucher specimens: California (SIO 82-22, LACM 42887-1).
Bagarinao, T. 1994. Systematics, distribution, genetics and life history of milkfish, Chanos chanos. Environmental Biology of Fishes 39:23-41.
Berra, T. M. 1981. An atlas of distribution of the freshwater fish families of the world. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, NE.
Burgess, W. E., and H. R. Axelrod. 1974. Pacific marine fishes book 4: fishes of Taiwan and adjacent waters. Tropical Fish Hobbyist Publications, Inc., Neptune City, NJ.
Duffy, J. M., and H. J. Bernard. 1985. Milkfish, Chanos chanos (Forsskål, 1775), taken in southern California adds new family (Chanidae) to the California marine fauna. California Fish and Game 71:122-125.
Eschmeyer, W. N., E. S. Herald, and H. Hamann. 1983. A field guide to Pacific Coast fishes of North America. Peterson Field Guide Series. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, MA.
Hubbs, C. L., W. I. Follett, and L. J. Dempster. 1979. List of the fishes of California. California Academy Science Occasional Papers 133. 51 pp.
Moyle, P. B. 1976. Inland fishes of California. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA.
Shapovalov, L., A. J. Cordone, and W. A. Dill. 1981. A list of freshwater and anadromous fishes of California. California Fish and Game 67(1):4-38.
Smith, H. M. 1896. A review of the history and results of the attempts to acclimatize fish and other water animals in the Pacific states. Pages 379-472 in Bulletin of the U.S. Fish Commission, Vol. XV, for 1895.
Swift, C. C., T. R. Haglund, M. Ruiz, and R. N. Fisher. 1993. The status and distribution of the freshwater fishes of southern California. Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Science 92(3):101-167.
Other Resources:
FishBase Fact Sheet
Author: Leo Nico
Revision Date: 5/16/2000 Citation for this information:
Leo Nico. 2009. Chanos chanos. USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, FL.
<http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.asp?SpeciesID=413> Revision Date: 5/16/2000
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