The term goby fry, which is locally known as hipon (Visayan), or ipon (Ilocano), is generally applied to the young of a certain group of gobies and eleotrids that periodically appear in large swarms at the mouths of swiftly flowing streams in various parts of the Philippines. In the rivers of northern Mindanao, particularly in Cagayan River, the annual runs of this group of fish are so enormous in quantity that their catching and utilization constitute an important industry. There is a similar and equally important fishery in the north and northwestern parts of Luzon and in the southwestern part of Mindanao. But for lack of a systematic record of catch, the value of the fishery in Cagayan River can be estimated only roughly.
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