PISCES. 201 



dark bands on the back, white below; ventral and anal fins fine red, 

 a black spot at the back part of the first dorsal fin. The perch spawns in 

 the third year and is then about 6" long; attains a length of i 1 ', but is 

 rarely taken so large. There are different species of this sub-genus in 

 North America, which closely resemble the European species, as Perca 

 serrato-granulata Cuv., GUEKIN Iconogr., Poiss. PL i, fig. i. 



Family XLV. Osphromenidei (s. Labyrinthici}. Third bony 

 piece of the first branchial arch on each side irregularly deve- 

 loped, lamellose, contorted, folded, labyrinthiform, forming cells. 

 Head and opercles scaly; scales mostly large. Ventral fins tho- 

 racic. Single dorsal fin long. Branchiostegous membrane with 

 4 6 rays. 



This family consists of fresh-water fishes which are found in the 

 eastern hemisphere, principally between the tropics. They are dis- 

 tinguished by the property of being able to live long out of water, 

 which some of them even leave for a time. The water remains 

 suspended in the cells or cavities of the convoluted, lamellose 

 pharyngeal bones above the gills, so as to keep the latter moist 

 when the fishes are on dry land. Almost all these fishes have a 

 swimming-bladder and only two or three pyloric appendages. 



See PETERS Ueber das Kiemengerust der LdbyrintJi-fische, MUELLEB'S 

 Archiv, 1853, pp. 427430, Taf. xm. fig. 4. 



Phalanx I. Several pungent rays in the anterior part of anal 

 and dorsal fins. Scales ctenoid. 



a) Palatine teeth. 



Spirobranchus Cuv. Maxillary teeth subulate, thin, crowded. 

 Gape of mouth produced as far as under the eyes. Lateral line 

 interrupted. Operculum with two angles produced posteriorly, 

 not denticulate. Branchiostegous membrane with six rays. 



Sp. SpirdbrancJius capensis Cuv. ct VAL. Pom. vn. PI. 200 ; in the rivers at 

 the Cape of Good Hope ; about 3" long. 



Ctenopoma PETERS. Characters almost of the preceding genus, 

 but operculum, interoperculum and suboperculum with margin den- 

 ticulate, pectinate. 



Sp. Ctenopoma multispinis, PETERS in MUELLER'S Archiv, 1846, s. 480482, 

 Taf. x. figs. 10 15, from Mozambique, a small fish like Spirobranchus. 

 According to an oral communication of Dr PETERS there are two pyloric 

 appendages, in which respect also this fish agrees with Spirobranchus. 



