There are thirty species been identified and eight were reported found in Malaysia (Inger and Kong, 1962; Mohsin and Ambak, 1983; Wee, 1982). Among them is this haruan C. striatus, commonly found in rice fields and the surrounding areas, as well as various natural and man made water body. As carnivorous, haruan is considered as pest and has never been listed as priority to the farming activity in Malaysia. However, many other countries in the region, Thailand, Indonesia, Indochina, The Philippines, China, and India had extensively cultivating and it is among the most popular table fish even in seafood restaurants (Mat Jais, 1997). The fish is also one of the sort about freshwater Ee Sang during the Chinese New Year, and many believe that haruan contain all the essential elements to bring about good health and helps to recover the lost energy after long illness (Mat Jais, 1997; Mat Jais et al., 1994; 1998). Based on the genetic variability revealed by the mitochondria DNA, the haruan C. striatus, in Malaysia is of two stocks, and being around for more than 600,000 years and it is an indigenous species.

As a carnivorous, C. striatus is not a good swimmer, but an ambush with fast flip attacking by surprised always successful catching the prey, and as an air breather the fish need to surface for air. Therefore, haruan prefer slow running or stagnant, shallow not more than 2 meters, with aquatic plants and some dead log to hide or for hunting.the natural enemies are snake, eagle, monkeys, boomerang and human being. Although most of the habitats were remote but some are with a closed proximity to human settlement. Haruan were also found in water up to 12 meters deep, and the width between 4 and 80 meters. Ponds, small kaes, agriculture canals, small rivers, rice fields and water catchments area of 10 – 12 meters wide, seems the most ideal, but haruan were also found in various unexpected locality such as river mouth with salinity about ppt and at higher ground with water temperature 20ºC. The pH of the habitat was 4.30 to 7.90, temperature was between 20,70 to 26.40ºC, conductivity between 0.10 to 1.30 mScm^-1 , turbidity between 2 to 268 ppm and dissolved oxygen between 1.20 to 6.10 ppm. As for Malaysia, a tropical country with no significant different even to water parameter seems to have minimal changes throughout the year. There were hardly any changed even after a heavy storm, and any torrential effects will be buffered by in and out flow of the water. Although Malaysia had never experienced such a drastic weather change in the last 20 years, the recent La Nina and La Nino, and the haze problem in August to October 1998 blocked the sunray from reaching the ground and impeded in the aquatic photosynthesis (Mat Jais, 2000).

Chlorine in the water between 0.20 to 0.40 mgl^-1, phosphate 0.50 to 0.80 mgl^-1, ammonia 0.60 to 3.00 gml^-1, nitrate between 0.50 to 6.00 mgl^-1, phosphate 0.50 to 0.80 mgl^-1, sulphate 2.00 to 13.00 mgl^-1, calcium 3.40 to 19.60 ppm, magnesium 1.70 to 25.10 ppm and sodium 2.37 to 9.81 ppm, see Table 1. This is definitely a good quality and non-polluted environment. Although, many believes that haruan is a hardy fish and certainly could tolerate to some extend any deterioration of the quality, but the actual physiological adaptation unique to suitable and clean water (Mat Jais, 1991). Similarly, haruan is also known to bore into magnesium and sodium composition in the soil, were 1.70 to 16.80 ppm, 0.28 to 29.32 ppm and 2.67 to 34.60 ppm respectively.

Table 1