46 A HISTORY OF FISHES 



reservoirs for the storage of air, which are outgrowths either 

 from the pharynx itself or from the branchial chamber, and 

 contain certain special structures richly supplied with blood- 

 vessels for the aeration of the blood. 



The so-called Labyrinthic Fishes (Anabantoidea) of the fresh 

 waters of tropical Asia and Africa derive their name from the 

 possession of a labyrinth-like accessory breathing organ on 

 either side of the head. This group of fishes includes a number 

 of species familiar in aquaria, such as the Climbing Perch 

 {Anabas)y Gourami {Osphronemus) , Paradise-fish (Macropodus) , 

 Fighting-fish {Bettaj, and so on, but it will only be necessary 

 to mention the accessory breathing organs of the first of these. 



The CUmbing Perch {Anabas) was first made known in a 

 memoir printed in 1797 by one Daldorf, a heutenant in the 

 service of the Danish East India Company at Tranquebar. 

 The fish derives its name from a legend current in the East 

 that it climbs palm trees and sucks their juice, and Daldorf 

 stated that he had taken one in a sUt in the bark of a palm 

 which grew near a pond. The recent researches of an Indian 

 naturalist. Dr. Das, have shown that, although the stories of 

 the Climbing Perch being found in trees are quite well founded, 

 the explanation of the facts is an erroneous one. The fish is in 

 the habit of migrating from pond to pond at night, and after a 

 shower of rain it comes out of the water and invades gardens 

 in search of earthworms. During its overland travels it is not 

 infrequently seized by crows or kites, and deposited high up 

 in the forks of branches of the trees to be devoured at leisure. 

 Hence the origin of the story of its tree-climbing activities ! The 

 method of progression adopted on land is of interest, the gill- 

 covers as well as the fins assisting in locomotion. The gill-covers 

 are alternately spread out and fixed firmly to the ground by 

 the sharp spines with which they are armed, while a vigorous 

 push is given by the pectoral fins and the tail. When in the 

 water, the Climbing Perch frequently comes to the surface to 

 breathe air, and so vital has this method of respiration become 

 to the fish that it will suffocate even in water saturated with 

 oxygen if deprived of access to atmospheric air. The ease with 

 which these fishes are able to survive out of water is taken 

 advantage of by the natives of India and the Malay Peninsula, 

 who carry them about alive for days on end in moistened clay 

 pots, thus ensuring a regular supply of fresh fish. The jars 

 must, of course, be kept tightly covered, or the intended meal 

 will climb out and walk away! 



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