Tortambaroides (scientific name: Tortambaroides), also known as Malayan knotted fish, is a kind of CYPRINIDAE, native to Southeast Asia. In Taiwan Province Province, Singaporeans and Malaysians, it is commonly known as "unforgettable", which is an expensive food.

This species is found in the upper reaches of Mengla Rang River, Jiabo, Batang Ai and Balan River in Sarawak. In East Malaysia, it is commonly known as Empurau or unforgettable, with delicious meat and special fruit fragrance, so it has the reputation of "the emperor in the river" among local freshwater fish.

This species is an omnivore, generally inhabiting streams in the forest. When these small streams overflow, sometimes poisonous fruits in the forest are washed into the streams, and these fruits are also eaten by this species, making fish unfit to eat during this period. Young fish will migrate downstream in the rainy season; After two months, the grown adult fish will return to the upper reaches in the dry season and lay eggs in the upper reaches.

In recent years, similar species in the local language have been reported by the media, so operators have introduced them to the peninsula from Sarawak, but the price in Malaysia is still 1 to 2 times higher than other precious marine fish such as Rattan and Samui.

However, due to overexploitation of forests, clearing river basins, illegal fishing, destruction of ecological waters, environmental pollution and overfishing, the wild population of this species has also caused great harm to its survival. Therefore, Malaysian universities and non-governmental organizations began to protect the natural resources in the waters and launched a "community adoption" program to save their endangered fate.

In addition, Sarawak Inland Fisheries Bureau and Sabah Fisheries Bureau also sponsor residents to carry out river ecological protection and breeding programs in Sabah and Sarawak River basins respectively.

Protection status

Although the species is not protected in IUCN due to insufficient data, it is believed that excessive fishing and hunting have affected the wild number of the species. Unforgettable is the most expensive edible fish in Malaysia. It is understood that the most expensive fish can be sold to Malaysian ringgit per kilogram 1800, and if sold to Singapore, the price will be much higher.

Therefore, some fish farms have tried to breed "unforgettable" at present, hoping to reduce the price of this variety.