FRESH-WATER FISHES OF SIAM, OR THAILAND 447 



lb. Origin of dorsal fin far behind base of pectorals ; dorsals fin shorter than anal; 

 ventral fins with first soft ray produced into a filament. 

 3a. Ventral fins with a well-developed spine. 



4a. Lateral line complete; first of 5 soft ventral rays produced into a very 



long articulated filament ; size large Osphronemus 



4b. Lateral line absent or vestigial ; first of 5 soft ventral rays more or less 

 produced into a filament ; size very small. 

 5a. Preorbital serrate ; dorsal spines II-VI, anal spines IV-VIII. 



Trichopsis 



56. Preorbital entire ; a single dorsal spine, anal spines I to IV Betta 



3b. Ventral fins with a vestigial spine and 3 or 4 rays, the first ray pro- 

 duced into a very long unarticulated filament ; lateral line present. 



Trichogaster 



Genus ANABAS Cuvier and Cloquet 



Anabas Crrvms. and Cloquet, Dictionnaire des sciences naturelles, ed. 2, vol. 2, 

 suppl., p. 35, 1816. (Type, Perca scandens Daldorff.) 



ANABAS TESTUDINEUS (Bloch) 



Anthias testudineus Bloch, 1792, vol. 6, p. 121 (Japan). 



Anaba.'i scandens Bleekeb, 1865 (356), p. 173 (Siam).— Satjvage, 1881. p. 159 

 (Siam). — Kaeoli, 1882, p. 172 (Siam). — Satjvage, 1883b, p. 151 (Menam Chao 

 Phya).— Smith, 1930, p. 58 (Siam). 



Anal)ns scandens von Martens, 1876, p. 394 (Bangkok). 



Anabas macrocephalus Karoli, 1882, p. 172 (Siam). 



Anahas testudineus Peters, 1868, p. 259 (Menam Chao Phya). — Weber and 

 DE Beaufort, 1922, vol. 4, p. 334 (Siam).— Hora, 1923b, p. 181 (Bangkok).— 

 ViPULTA, 1923, p. 224 (Bangkok).— HoEA, 1924a, p. 483 (inner lake, Tale 

 Sap).— Fowler, 1934a, p. 146 (Hua Mak, Chiengmai) ; 1935a, p. 137 

 (Bangkok).— Smith, 1936a, p. 249 (Siam).— Fowler, 1937, p. 222 (Tachin, 

 Pitsanulok, Mepoon). 



This is the celebrated walking fish or climbing perch, whose habitat 

 covers south China, French Indo-China, Thailand, Malaya, Burma, 

 India, Ceylon, Philippine Islands, and the Indo-Australian Archi- 

 pelago. In Thailand the distribution is wide, extending from the ex- 

 treme north to southern part of the Peninsula and from the Mekong to 

 the Salwin. 



A length somewhat in excess of 23 cm. is attained, but full maturity 

 is reached in Thailand when the fish is 10 to 15 cm. long. 



The fish lives in all kinds of fresh water, including large streams, but 

 flourishes most in canals, ditches, lakes, ponds, and swamps. By means 

 of its supplementary breathing apparatus, it can thrive in water de- 

 ficient in oxygen, and has, in fact, ceased to depend entirely on its gilis 

 for its respiratory requirements. Associated with the air-breathing 

 function is the habit of deliberately leaving the water and going con- 

 siderable distances on dry land. Progress is jerky and ungraceful 

 and is accomplished by lateral movements of the tail while the fish 

 maintains an upright position supported by the spread paired fins. 



