The highly-prized seabass, locally known as "apahap," has been identified by the Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development as a commodity wherein the country enjoys a comparative advantage or a "leading edge." Its abundance and wide distribution in the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indo-West Pacific Region (where the Philippines is located) has made the culture of the species commercially promising.

Seabass culture feasible. (1990, January 16). Manila Bulletin, p. 26.