Synopsis of the Anabantoidei. 



1. Compressed, oblong. Snout short, mouthopening small, 

 oblique. Intermaxillaries moderately protractile. Gill- 

 openings narrowed by the broad union of the scaly 

 gillmembranes. Dorsal and anal spines variable ; 



anal long 



2. Elongate, subcylindrical. Snout long, mouthopening 

 rather wide, horizontal. Intermaxillaries strongly pro- 

 tractile. Gillopenings wide, the naked gillmembranes 

 not being united. No dorsal and anal spines j anal 



deeply notched , . . Lticiocephalidae p. 367. 



i. Fam. ANABANTIDAE. 



More or less strongly compressed, oblong or elongate-oblong. 

 Mouth usually small, oblique, the lower jaw prominent, bor- 

 dered by Intermaxillaries, which are usually protractile. Prae- 

 orbital entire or serrated. Jaws with bands of fixed conical 

 teeth, except for Helostoma, where only movable teeth on the 

 thick lips are present. Vomerine teeth in Asiatic genera only 

 in Anabas, otherwise palate edentulous. The single dorsal is 

 long, inserted above base of pectorals, longer than anal, or it 

 is shorter or much shorter than anal, beginning behind base 

 of pectorals. The dorsal is composed, according to its length, 

 of I to XIX spines and 7 to 16 rays, which may be branched; 

 the anal of I to XVII spines and 9 to 39 rays, branched 

 or not M. Caudal rounded, cuneate, emarginate, in Macropodus 

 forked. Pectorals rounded, situated below middle of height. 

 Ventrals thoracic, with a spine and 5 soft rays. The first soft 

 ray may be bifid or produced into a single long filament; or 

 the ventral spine is rudimentary and adnate to it, the long 

 filamentous first rays with two or three small branched rays 

 in its axil or the ventrals are reduced to a single long fila- 

 mentous ray. Scales moderate or large, ctenoid, usually regu- 

 larly arranged ; lateral line complete and continuous or inter- 

 rupted below posterior part of dorsal, or it is incomplete, 

 vestigial or absent. Opercular bones serrated or entire. Gill- 

 openings narrow, the scaly gillmembranes being broadly united 

 below isthmus. Pseudobranchiae none, or rudimentary. Four 

 gills. Suprabranchial organ well developed. 



i) By exception the dorsal and anal spines may be wanting or obsolete. 



