6o A Guide to the Zoological Collections 



Anabas scandcns, is a good example of the family. The 

 climbing-perch is said to be able to climb trees : it 

 certainly can and does escape from a tub half-full of 

 water unless means are taken to prevent it. The " Koi " 

 and its congeners are popular as food, their flesh being 

 believed to be very strengthening. 



Family XXXIX. Trachypteridce [Case 45]. 



The Ribbon-fishes have a long, low, thin, tape-like 

 body, at the end of which the caudal fin sticks up almost 

 at a right-angle. 'I he only Indian species known is 

 Rcgalccus Russcllii. The other species of Regalecus come 

 from the North and South Atlantic, the Mediterranean, 

 and the seas of New Zealand. 



Family XL. GlyphidodontidcB [Case 41]. 



A largish family of fishes that, for the most part, live 

 among coral-reefs and are gorgeously coloured. They 

 have a considerable resemblance to some of the Sea- 

 perches and SquamipimieSy but are distinguished from 

 them by having only oh pairs of gills and the lower 

 pharyngeal bones fused. Of the six Indian genera three, 

 namely Pomaccntrus, Glyphidodon and Ueliastes, range 

 throughout the tropical parts of the Indo-Pacific and are 

 also found off the Atlantic coasts of Tropical America, 

 Heliastes also occurring in the Mediterranean. They are 

 carnivorous and feed largely on the polyps, etc., of the 

 reefs. 



Family XLI. Labvidce [Case 43J. 



The Wrasses are a large family, the members of which 

 are found in all tropical and temperate seas, not far from 

 the shore. They resemble the members of the previous 

 family in having 3J pairs of gills and the pharyngeal 



