372 LABVRINTnrCI. 



Fam. 35. LABYRINTHICI. 



LabjTintliici, part., Cuv. Reqnc Aiiim. ; Miill. Berl. Ahhdndl. 1844, 



p. 201. 

 LabjTiuthibraiichii, part., Otven, Led. Comp. Anat. i. p. 49. 

 Ospliromeuoidei, Bleek. Enum. Spec. p. xviii. 



Body compressed, oblong or elevated, covered with scales of mode- 

 rate size ; head more or less compressed, covered with scales, which 

 are not different from those of the body. Lateral line absent or more or 

 less distinctly in teiTupted. Teeth small. Gill-opening rather narroiv, 

 the gill-membranes of both sides joined below the isthmus and scaly ; 

 four gills ; pseudobranchi* none, or rudimentary. A siqjerbranchial 

 organ, composed of thin lamince, situated in a cavity above the gills, 

 and based upon the third or upper portion of the first branchial arch. 

 Number of the dorsal and anal spines variable ; ventrals thoracic. 



Fresh waters of the East Indies and of South Africa. 



The fishes of this family are capable of li\dng for some time out of 

 the water, or buried in exsiccated mud ; they appear to retain or 

 to collect a small quantity of water in the cavity in which the super- 

 branchial organ is situated. They hvo on small animals as well as 

 on vegetable substances ; and several of the species are capable of 

 being domesticated, and then of being acclimatized in other countries. 

 The species which have been domesticated are subject to great varia- 

 tions, and I strongly suspect that Macropus is merely such a domestic 

 variety. 



Synopsis of the Genera. 

 * Teeth on the palate. 



Vomerine and palatine teeth ; opercles not ser- 

 rated 1. Spieobranchus, p. 373. 



Vomerine and palatine teeth ; opercles serrated. 2. Ctenopoma, p. 373. 



Vomerine teeth ; palatine teeth none 3. Anabas, p. 374. 



** Moveable teeth on the Ups. 



Mouth very small, transverse 4. Helostoma, p. 377. 



*** Teeth fixed in the jaws ; none on the palate. 



Ventrals well developed ; thirteen to twenty 



dorsal or anal spines ; caudal rounded t). Polyacanthus, p. 378. 



Caudal forked 6. Macropus, p. 381. 



First ventral ray filiform, with three or four 



small ones in its axil ; two to thirteen dorsal, 



seven to fourteen anal spines 7. Osphromenus, p. 382. 



Only one filiform ventral ray 8. Tiuchogaster, p. 387. 



Ventral fins well developed ; dorsal fin short, 

 with a few spines or without any pungent 

 spine 9. Betta, p. 388. 



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