As to be expected with a species that occupies a wide geographic range, Lates calcarifer comes
under a diverse group of common names. Although ‘barramundi’ is the accepted common name
in Australia (derived from the aboriginal word ‘burramundi’ meaning ‘large scales’), it has been
variously called ‘giant perch’ and ‘cock-up’. It is also known as ‘anama’ in Papua New Guinea,
‘kakap’ in Indonesia and Malaysia, ‘bulgan’ in the Philippines, ‘bhekti’ in India and often more
generally as Asian seabass in the literature.