18 COPEIA 



tremely shy, and hiding itself away at the slightest 

 disturbance, with proper care it soon becomes tame. 

 It is interesting to see them go up to any new stone 

 or other object which has been placed in the aquarium 

 and examine it with their feelers. 



The principle color extending over the body of 

 the male, excepting the fins and tail, is steel blue, 

 with irregular orange zigzag bands running verti- 

 cally. The fins and tail (except the pectoral fins) are 

 orange, mottled with a great number of red spots 

 the size of a pin-head, the edges of the fins are blue 

 with bright red tips. During the mating and breed- 

 ing seasons these already bright colors are greatly 

 intensified. The pale orange becomes redder and the 

 blue throat a most brilliant dark steel blue. 



The nest-building habits are somewhat different 

 from those of the other fish of this family. Whereas 

 Paradise fish, and other Guramis, Fighting-fish, etc., 

 make their nest entirely of air bubbles, Lalius util- 

 izes small pieces of plants, roots, algae, etc., to form 

 a somewhat dome-shaped structure which projects 

 above the surface and is about two inches in diameter. 

 Under this he builds his bubble nest. The comple- 

 tion of his nest will take him about a day, and there 

 is not a second of rest or inactivity during this proc- 

 ess. One minute one may see him tearing on a de- 

 composed plant leaf and carrying the pieces so gotten 

 to the spot chosen for the nest where they are thrown 

 into a compact mass on the surface of the water, the 

 next minute he may be seen chasing his perhaps too 

 inquisitive and eager mate around the tank, punish- 

 ing her with plainly heard whacks, until she retires 

 to her undisputed hiding place. It is not obvious how 

 the sound, something like that from snapping ones 

 fingers, is produced. Or he may be at the surface 

 of the water taking in air so that one might think 

 he were trying to fill his whole body. After getting 

 his supply he retires under the nest and fills the whole 

 inside of the fibrous mass with small air bubbles. 



