THE WALKIXG-?ISH. 



105 



FAMILY XLVIIL THE PSYCHROLUTID^. 



The Psychrolutes paradoxus, from Vancouver Island, is the only fish in the Psychrohitidse, a 

 family which unites many characters of other families which have been here described. 



The fifteenth division of the order is the Channiformes, an interesting group of two genera 

 of fresh-water fishes from the East Indies. Some species are limited to India, Siam, and China; 

 other species are found in the rivers of Sumatra and Borneo. 



FAMILY XLIX. THE OPHIOCEPHALIDvE. 



The Walking-fish (Ophiocephalus) has the body long and nearly cylindrical in front. The 

 flattened head is covered with shields above, and the body with scales of moderate size, 

 are fine teeth on the jaws, 

 vomer, and palatine bones, 

 suitable for grasping the 

 many small land animals 

 which fall a prey to these 

 fishes. There is a cavity 

 connected with tha gill- 

 chamber which retains water 

 .so as to moisten the gills, 

 but there is no distinct 

 organ for this purpose, such 

 as is found in the Climbing 

 Perch. These fishes become 

 buried in the mud when the 

 pools dry up, and are often 

 found in India by digging 

 at a depth of two or more 

 feet below the dry surface. 

 There are fifty-one vertebras 

 in the abdomen and sixty- 

 one in the tail. There is 

 one long dorsal fin, but both 

 it and the anal fin are with- 

 out spines. Ophiocephalu:; 

 possesses ventral fins, but in 

 the genus Channa, from the 

 fresh waters of Ceylon, the 

 ventral fins are absent. The 



Ophiocephalus striatus is taken by the native fishermen with a long flexible bamboo as a rod, and a 

 hook baited with a live frog, but these fishes are also often captured with nets. They are monogamous, 

 and universally distributed over India. The Ophiocephalus breeds twice a year, in June and 

 December. The male then bites off the ends of water- weeds and constructs a nest with his tail amongst 

 the vegetation. After the ova are deposited the male keeps guard over them, but his place is taken 

 by the female if he should happen to be killed. After the young are hatched they swim a little 

 above their parents, who defend them with great courage. None of the fishes of this family migrate. 

 The species of Ophiocephalus are most successfully carried from place to place in mud, but they 

 need when in water to rise to the surface to breathe air. According to Mr. Day, they are often 

 captured in Burmah by spreading a large cloth over the mud in which they have buried them- 

 selves, when they soon become stupefied from deficiency of oxygen. Ophiocephalus falls a prey to 

 fresh-water Snakes, the fresh-water Porpoise, and the fish-eating Crocodile (Gavialis ganrjeticus). 



FAMILY L. THE LABYRINTHICI. 



The sixteenth division, termed the Labyrinthibranchii, contains two families. This family includes 

 uine genera. The fishes have the body covered with scales cf moderate size, which also extend over 



204: 



CLIMBING PEUCH. 



