Status to be confirmed. Recorded as introduced (Ref. 6565). May be a native fish due to museum records dating back to 1901 (USNM 00126367) (Ref. 38732). Found in slow streams, ditches, ponds, and lakes, but not in the mountains (Ref. 2854). Reported from Laguna de Bay (Ref. 80864); museum specimens collected in 1984 from the south bay, LRS-84128 (Ref. 13460) and Sta. Maria River, in Laguna; Lake Buhi, Camarines Sur; Lake Naujan, Mindoro (Ref. 13446); San Fernando, La Union; Rosales, La Union; Tacloban, Leyte; Lake Buluan and the rivers of Cotabato (Rio Grande and Fort Pikit) (Ref. 280). A specimen was caught in 1989 with hook and line from Lake Manguao, Palawan (Ref. 13489). Known from Lake Buluan (Ref. 13492) and Lake Lanao (Ref. 13446, 95183). Also recorded from Lake Mainit, Mindanao (Ref. 50320, 13446, 81829), reported from Kalinawan River (Ref. 81829). Considered a tasty but bony food fish (Ref. 6565). Used in the aquarium trade (Ref. 12157). Reported from Manguao Lake in a 2003 study, common in the the littoral zone in vegetation, inflows and rice field ; known for its ability to walk overland to find larger water bodies (Ref. 50862). Reported from Lake Lanao, Lake Taal (Ref. 13446). Collected from CLSU fish pond, Nueva Ecija as specimen for living fish museum (Ref. 81820). Also Ref. 4835, 4833, 7050, 12744, 43638.