Milkfish, known in the Philippines as bangus, scientific name Chanos chanos, is the sole specie in the family Chanidae in the order Gonorynchiformes in the subclass Actinopterygii (ray-finned fish). It has a bright silvery sheen, a relatively small toothless mouth, and a single dorsal fin. Milkfish can grow to over a meter long although the ones found in markets are generally smaller.
It is an important aquaculture and commercial fish species. Milkfish farming has been practiced for around 800 years and provides much of the current supply. In 2007, milkfish made up 17% of global finfish production behind only the 40% share accounted for by Atlantic salmon. The Philippines and Indonesia account for the vast majority of production. In 2009, milkfish contributed to 14.03% of Philippine aquaculture production behind seaweed (70.23%) and ahead of tilapia (10.53%).