AQUARIUM. 



141 



Under the Auspices of The Aquarium Society of Philadelphia, Herman T. Wolf, Editor 



Domesticated Air-Breathing Fishes. 



A number of the smaller species of 

 the large family of Labyrinthici or 

 tropical lung-fishes have been domesti- 

 cated to an aquarium existence in Eu- 

 rope, and some of them are now bred 

 in the United States. Among these 

 are the Formosa paradise fish or flag- 

 fin, the Indian paradise fish, macro- 

 pode or large-fin ; the Indian gourami, 

 the Siamese fighting fish, the Ben- 

 galese thread )fish, the East Indian 

 climbing perch and archer perch, and 

 the dwarfed South American chan- 

 chito ; all native of the intertropical 

 belt and requiring warm water for 

 their existence. 



Peculiarities of formation of the 

 labyrinth enables these fishes to ab- 

 sorb oxygen not only from the water 

 but also directly from the air, for 

 which reason they are easily kept in 

 small aquaria and do not require the 

 well-aerated water necessary to the 

 existence of other freshwater fishes. 



Three species are generally known 

 in the United States and are most in- 

 teresting pets ; the Paradise fish, the 

 Gourami and the dwarf Chanchito. Of 

 these the former has been the longest 

 introduced and is the better known to 

 aquariists. 



The Indian Paradise fish, Macropo- 

 dus viridi-auratus is derived by selec- 

 tion from the common Macropode, 

 M. venestrus, native to the rice fields 

 of Formosa, Southern China and East 

 India. The male is a gaudily-colored 

 small fish with remarkably developed 

 fins, the long dorsal, anal and caudal 

 growing to points and the rays of all 

 the fins extending beyond the connect- 

 ing tissue. During the nuptial season 

 it has a scintillating: brownish color 



over the body and fins, the pectorals 

 usually marked with orange and yel- 

 low stripes and red mottlings ; while 

 the body is dotted with olive and has 

 reddish, bluish and greenish opalescent 

 bands. On the operculum or gill cover 

 there is a dark yellowish-red spot, and 

 the keen black eyes have red irides. 

 The smaller female is usually duller 

 and paler in color with brown stripes, 

 and has smaller or more rounded fins. 



The Gourami somewhat resembles 

 the sunfish in form and size, but has 

 the snout turned upward with the lips 

 nearly vertical. The dorsal, pectoral 

 and caudal fins are like those of the 

 striped sunfish, but the anal fin is 

 longer and extends from below the 

 branchiosticals to the caudal fin. The 

 ventral fins are placed under about the 

 centre line of the head and each has 

 'he second ray extended to a very long 

 thread-like streamer, which like those 

 of other fishes are useful in exploring 

 cracks and crevices for food. The 

 colors of the male during the mating 

 season are a lustrous reddish-bronze 

 on the back and sides, overlayed with 

 bluish and greenish vertical bands of 

 bright metallic lustre; and the abdo- 

 men silver, marked with vague brown 

 and grey rings and dots. The fins are 

 steel-blue and grey, striped with yel- 

 low and white broken bands or spots ; 

 while the long thread of the ventral 

 fins is usually orange-yellow in color 

 and the pectoral fin marked with a 

 black spot. The black eyes have red 

 or yellow irides. The female is more 

 dull in color and does not display the 

 brilliant markings of the male fish. 



The Chanchito may be compared 

 in outline with the Tautog or common 

 blackfish, and is a belligerent, active 



