168 



PISCES. 



branchiffi, on the side next to the mouth, are furnished with lamellx 

 nearly similar to the external ones, which may also assist in the pro- 

 cess of respiration.(l) Their stomach is small, and has but two 

 pyloric appendages, but their intestine is very long; the parietes of 

 their natatory bladder are thick. 



OsPHEOMENusj Commers.(2) 

 All the characters of a Polyacanthus, but the forehead is somewhat 

 concave; the anal larger than the dorsal, as in Macropodus; the sub- 

 orbitals and lower part of the preoperculum very finely dentated; 

 the first soft ray of the ventrals extremely long; six branchial rays 

 and the body strongly compressed. A species of this genus origin- 

 ally from China, 



Osphr. olfax, Commers.; the Gourami; Lacep. Ill, iii, 2, be- 

 comes as large as the Turbot, and is considered even more deli- 

 cious. It was introduced into the ponds of the Isle of France, 

 where it increases rapidly, and has been taken thence to Cay- 

 enne. The female is said to form a cavity in the sand for the 

 reception of her eggs. The 



Trichopodus, Lacep. 

 Differs from Osphromenus in having a more convex forehead, and 

 a shorter dorsal, besides which there are but four rays in the bran- " 

 chise; 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. (3) 



Spirobranchus, Cuv. 

 The general form of Anabas, but the opercula are not dentated; the 

 operculum merely terminating in two points; a series of palatine 

 teeth. ^ 



(1) But one species is known {Hel. TemmincUi, Cuv.), from the Moluccas, 

 which we shall minutely describe in our Icthyology. 



(2) This name is derived from U^gof^ai {olfacio), and was invented by Com- 

 merson, who conjectured that the hollow pharyngeals visible in this fish, as in 

 others of the family, might be organs of smell, a kind of athmoides. 



N B. The Osphromene gal Lacep., Scams gallus, Forsk. is a JuUs, Nob.: but 

 we have two new species of true Ophromeni, Ophr. notatus, and the vittaius, Cuv. 



(o) It IS the Labrus trichopterus, Gmel., Pall., Spic, Fasc. Vin, p. 45; the Tri- 

 chopterusPaHasii, Shaw,IV, part II, p. 392; the Tnchogasterinckopterus, Kl., Schn 

 and the Tnchopode trichopthe, Lacep. N.B. The Trichopode mentonnier, Lac^. ' 

 or 2. satyrus, Shaw, vol. IV, part II, p. 391, only rests upon a bad figure of Gou- 



rami. 



