Chanos chanos

The milkfish (Chanos chanos) is a widespread species of ray-finned fish found throughout the Indo-Pacific. It is the sole living species in the family Chanidae, and the only living member of the genus Chanos. The repeating scientific name (tautonym) is from Greek ( 'mouth'). They are grouped in the order Gonorhynchiformes and are most closely related to the Ostariophysi—freshwater fishes such as carps, catfish, and loaches.

The species has many common names. The Hawaiian name for the fish is awa, and in Tahitian it is ava. It is called bangús () in the Philippines, where it is popularly known as the national fish, although the National Commission for Culture and the Arts has stated that this is not the case as it has no basis in Philippine law. In the Nauruan language, it is referred to as . Milkfish is also called bandeng or bolu in Indonesia. ==Geographic distribution== thumb|left|Estimated geographical range of Chanos in the Indo-Pacific Chanos chanos occurs in the Indian Ocean and across the Pacific Ocean, from South Africa to Hawaii and the Marquesas, from California to the Galapagos, north to Japan, south to Australia. A single specimen was reported in 2012 in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. In 1877, the California Fish and Game Commission introduced one hundred milkfish from Hawaii to the inland waters of Solano County, California. The introduced population could not establish itself permanently and it is currently unknown how their presence affected the native ecosystem.