Catfish, tilapia swept into homes by floodwaters

Recent heavy rains have brought more than floodwaters to some communities in Bulacan and Pangasinan. Residents have discovered catfish and tilapia swept into neighborhoods by overflowing rivers and fishponds.

In Kuya Kim's report in "24 Oras" on Wednesday, a father and son caught several large catfish after the water level in a nearby river rose following days of intense rainfall in Pandi, Bulacan.

Meanwhile, in Hagonoy, Bulacan, Angela Hermoso Santiago was surprised to find three tilapia swimming inside her flooded home.

She said the fish may have come from a nearby fishpond that overflowed during the rains. Rather than let them go to waste, she caught, cleaned, and fried the fish.

McKelly Ang also had an unusual encounter with a tilapia carried into his home in Dagupan, Pangasinan, by floodwaters, where the fish released its offspring from its mouth.

According to a marine biology expert, the fish was a female Oreochromis niloticus, commonly known as Nile tilapia. The behavior is called mouth brooding, a reproductive strategy in which the mother keeps fertilized eggs inside her mouth until they hatch and they have absorbed their yolk sacs.

"It's actually quite common in their reproductive process. Once the female tilapia lays eggs and they are fertilized by the male, the mother takes them into her mouth to incubate them," Marine Biologist Glenville Castrence said in Filipino.

"The eggs remain there until they hatch, and the newly hatched fish consume their yolk sacs, which serve as their source of nourishment. After that, the mother spits them out or releases them or returns them to the water," he added.

Meanwhile, as the rain eased in UP Diliman, jogger Jasper Barinan encountered a snake slithering inside a gutter.

The snake was believed to be a juvenile Luzon red-tailed rat snake (Coleognathus erythrurus), known for its long, smooth body and distinctive reddish tail.

The species is commonly found in forests, grasslands, and gardens. It is non-venomous and generally poses no threat to humans.

According to Kuya Kim, it is also normal for snakes to emerge during rainy weather. Heavy downpours can flood their hiding places, such as holes and crevices, forcing them to seek drier ground. —Jade Veronique Yap/MGP, GMA News