333 



long filamentous ray with two or 3 small rays in 

 its axil. Scales irregularly arranged. L.I. complete 

 but interrupted. Caudal emarginate Trichopodits p. 364. 



I. A nab as Cuvier. 



(G. CUVIER, Regne anim. ed. la. 1817, p. 339). 



Oblong, head rather broad, body posteriorly compressed. 

 Mouth not protractile, its cleft extending at least to orbit, 

 horizontal. Praeorbital serrated. Small, conical, fixed teeth in 

 a band on jaws, also on vomer, none on palatines. Scales 

 ciliate, large, regularly arranged. Lateral line a series of tuber- 

 cles, interrupted below posterior part of spinous dorsal and 

 continued lower down. Dorsal with 16 19 strong spines and 

 7 u rays, commencing before origin of anal which has 9 n 

 spines and 8 12 rays. The soft dorsal and anal are shorter 

 than the spinous part, the rays are branched, not prolonged 



Fig. 86. Anabas testudineus (Bl.) X 2 / 3 . 



and scaly at their base. Caudal rounded. Pectorals bluntly 

 rounded. Ventrals inserted somewhat behind pectorals, with a 

 spine and 5 branched rays, none of them prolonged. Oper- 

 culum, sub- and interoperculum serrated. Branchial arches with 

 toothed tubercles. 



Distribution: Western and Central part of Indo-australian 

 Archipelago as far as Batjan and Halmahera; Malay Penin- 

 sula, Philippines, South China, Siam, Tonkin, Burma, British 

 India, Ceylon and when its near african relatives, known as 

 Spirobranchus and Ctenopoma are united with Anabas, its habitat 

 extends to the fresh water of Africa (Nile, Tschad Basin, 

 Congo, South Africa). 



In fresh and brackish water. 



