220 ORDER ACANTHOPTERYGII. 



head is somewhat concave ; the anal larger than the 

 dorsal, as in Macropodus ; the suborbitals and lower 

 part of the preoperculum very finely denticulated ; 

 the first soft ray of the ventrals extremely long ; six 

 branchial rays and the body strongly compressed. 



A species of this genus originally from China, is 

 Osphr. olfax, Commers., the Gourami, Lacep. III. iii. 

 2; it becomes as large as the turbot, and is considered 

 even more delicious. It was introduced into the 

 ponds of the Isle of France, where it increases rapidly, 

 and has been taken thence to Cayenne. The female 

 is said to form a cavity in the sand for the reception 

 of her eggs. 



Trichopodus, Lacep., 



Differs from Osphromenus in having a more convex 

 forehead, and a shorter dorsal, besides which there are 

 but four rays in the branchiae. The first soft ray of 

 their ventrals very long. 



There is but one species known, a small fish of the 

 Moluccas, marked with a black spot on the side ! . 



in this fish, as in others of the family, might be organs of smell, a 

 kind of ethmoid. 



N. B. The Osphromene gal, Lacep. Scarus gallns. Forsk. is a 

 Julis, Nob. ; but we have two new species of true Osphromeni, Osphr. 

 notatus, and vittatus, Cuv. 



1 It is the Labrus trichopterus, Gmel., Pall., Spic, Fasc. viii. 

 p. 45. The Trichopterus Pallasii, Shaw, iv. part ii. p. 392. The 

 Trichogaster trichopterus, Bl., Schn., and the Trichopode trichoptere, 

 Lacep. N. B. The Trichopode mentonnier, Lacgr., or T. satyrus, 

 Shaw, Vol. iv. part ii. p. 391. only rests upon a bad figure of 

 Gourami. 



