02/06/2026
|| Mudfish (๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ข ๐ด๐ต๐ณ๐ช๐ข๐ต๐ข), locally known as dalag or haruan, has long held a quiet but enduring place in Southeast Asian food culture, not just prized for its rich taste, but also valued in traditional accounts for its supposed medicinal benefits. In the Philippines, it continues to appear consistently among the countryโs top aquaculture commodities. In recent years, national output has declined significantly, a trend linked to persistent bottlenecks in hatchery efficiency and limited availability of quality fry. Recognizing this gap, researchers from DA - Fisheries Biotechnology Center (FBC), in collaboration with BFAR-NFFTC and MSU Naawan, explored the effects of photoperiod manipulation on hatchery performance. Photoperiod, or the duration of light exposure, is known to influence feeding behavior, metabolism, and fish growth.
READ FULL ARTICLE: https://nfrdi.da.gov.ph/2026/06/01/feature-lighting-the-way-24-hour-illumination-for-mudfish/