CLASS PISCES. 219 



Macropodus, Lacep., 



Only differs from Polyacanthus in a less extended 

 dorsal, which terminates, as well as the caudal and 

 the ventrals, in a slender point, more or less elon- 

 gated. The anal is larger than the dorsal. 

 Fresh-water fishes found in India and China \ 



Helostoma, Kuhl. 



In addition to the characters of Polyacanthus, fish 

 of this genus have a small compressed mouth, so pro- 

 tractile that it seems to advance from the suborbitals, 

 and to retreat between them ; their very small teeth 

 are attached to the borders of the lips, and not to the 

 jaws or palate ; there are five rays to the gills. The 

 arches of the branchiae, on the side next to the mouth, 

 are furnished with lamellae, nearly similar to the ex- 

 ternal ones, which may also assist in the process of 

 respiration 2 . Their stomach is small, and has but 

 two pyloric appendages, but their intestine is very 

 long ; the parietes of their natatory bladder are thick. 



Osphromenus, Commers. 3 

 All the characters of a Polyacanthus, but the fore- 



1 The Macrocode vert dore, Lacep. III. xvi. 1. and a new and 

 much more beautiful species with alternate red and green bands. 



2 But one species is known {Hel. Temminckii, Cuv.) from the 

 Moluccas, which we shall minutely describe in our Ichthyology. 



3 This name is derived from oafpofxcu (olfacio), and was invented 

 by Commerson, who conjectured that the hollow pharyngeals visible 



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