Tarpon

These long fish have slightly upturned faces and soft, lobed fins, and they can grow to more than 8 feet long and over 350 pounds. From above they appear dark blue or greenish black, or even brassy if they’ve been in inland waters, but they are recognizable for their very shiny silver sides covered in large scales.

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Local Names: Buan-Buan, Bulan-bulan, Salongong

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These fish are Benthopelagic, meaning they spend the majority of their time just above the sea floor.  They are also Amphidromous, meaning they migrate to freshwater from salt or from salt to fresh at some point in their lives.  It is not uncommon to find these fish in freshwater rivers, ponds and even lakes.  Adult tarpon are  more commonly found at sea while the smaller ones are typically found close to shore.