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Malayan Water Monitor and the Bighead Carp

YC Wee
on 5th November 2016

Bernard Seah’s image of the Malayan Water Monitor (Varanus salvator) hovering over a fish head was photographed at the Chinese Garden.

MalayanWaterMonitor-carp [BernardSeah]

The water monitor was about 1.6 metres long and the carrion was the head of a large freshwater fish. According to Kelvin KP Lim of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, it looks like a Bighead Carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis).

Kelvin does not believe that a monitor is capable of catching such a large fish. Maybe if it is sick or dying.

This is a filter-feeding, non-native freshwater species. It is raised in floating net cages in some of our catchment reservoirs for the biological control of plankton blooms (Lim & Ng, 1990). At the same time the carp is also fattened for the table.

Bernard Seah (image) & Kelvin KP Lim (ID and comments)
Singapore
23rd October 2016

Reference:
Lim, K.P. Kelvin & Ng, Peter K.L. (1990). A guide to the freshwater fishes of Singapore. Singapore Science Centre.

The assistance of Subaraj Rajathurai in rerouting the query to Kelvin is much appreciated.

This post is a cooperative effort between Birds, Insects N Creatures Of Asia and BESG to bring the study of birds and their behavior through photography and videography to a wider audience.

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

Other posts by YC Wee

Bird Society of Singapore: A credible alternative to the Nature Society’s Bird Group

11th December 2023

Singapore-Nature: 17. Citizen Science

30th August 2023

Singapore-Nature: 16. Living close to nature

18th August 2023

Singapore’s secret “garden”

20th July 2023

Singapore-Nature: 15. Looking versus studying birds

12th July 2023

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Any views and opinions expressed in the articles are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

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