Geographically, the Province of Antique is an elongated stretch of land resembling a seahorse in shape which occupies the entire western side of the island of Panay. Based on estimates, the grouper could fetch a total of around P14,080.īeing the second biggest archipelagic state, the Philippines enjoys the presence of vast fishing grounds surrounding its 7,107 islands from the northernmost tip of the Batanes group of islands down to the islands of Tawi-Tawi in the south.Īccording to the 2012 statistics of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the country ranked among the major fish producing countries in the world with a total production of 3.1 trillion tons of fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and other aquatic animals. The ailing lapu-lapu eventually died and was sliced and its meat sold to a businessman in Kalibo, Aklan.Ī kilo of lapu-lapu currently costs around P80.00 in the market. “A person weighing 50 kilos can fit inside the mouth of the grouper,” said Barangay Captain Estaquio Daypuyart.
The giant grouper is considered a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List Status, indicating the need to protect and conserve its species. It’s the first time that a grouper this size was seen in the town and according to one of the elders in the village, so far “that pugaro is the biggest grouper caught in the town of Libertad.”įishermen in the town usually catch tuna and mackerel in the municipal waters. Juveniles have irregular black and yellow markings, while adults are green-grey to grey-brown with faint mottling, with numerous small black spots on the fins. This type of fish is characterized by a large mouth and rounded tail. Known as the largest reef-dwelling fish in the world, the stranded fish measured 7 feet and weighed 176 kilograms.įisherman Jessie Cacam of Barangay Taboc in this Municipality spotted the dying fish in Balo Point and solicited the aid of seven other fishermen in carrying it from the Pandan Bay to shore. The fish which was stranded in the shallow waters of the town was identified as a giant grouper ( Epinephelus lanceolatus), locally known as lapu-lapu in Filipino, or pugaro or kugtong in the Kinaray-a dialect.
The fifth class Municipality of Libertad in the Province of Antique drew public attention last Jwhen pictures of a very big fish circulated in social media and the internet. It turns out, the fish – a giant grouper or locally known as Lapu-lapu – was real. LIBERTAD, Antique – A photo of a very large fish caught in the Philippines went viral on social media, causing many to wonder whether the picture was faked.
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