They live in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean and tend to flock around the coast and islands with coral reefs. Young, newly hatched fish live in the sea for 2-3 weeks, then move to the brackish mangrove swamps, and sometimes saltwater lakes. The new milkfish returns to the sea when they grow up and can breed.
Young fish called nener, collected people from rivers and raised in ponds. There they can be fed anything and grow quickly. Once large enough (usually about 25-30 cm) milkfish sold fresh or frozen. Milkfish processed by fried, baked, steamed, dipindang, or smoked.