MALAYAN FISHES. 21 



During the breeding season, the males of many species assume 

 a more brilliant livery, or develop excrescences and tubercles on 

 various parts of the head, especially on the snout, or also on the 

 body and fins. 



The common Carp of Europe is said to have been introduced 

 from China early in the seventeenth century. The Chinese con- 

 tinue to import Carp into Malaya and to grow them in stoclv-ponds. 

 The imported Carp are the Tiam (Chinese) (Labeo iiwli- 

 torella), the Ling (Chinese) {(.'yprinuff airpio), and the Hwan 

 (Chinese) (Ctenopharijngodon idelliis) . 



The ova are shipped from China in large jars full of fresh 

 water and the contents of the jars are regularly and vigorously 

 stirred with a stick or paddle during the voyage, to oxygenisie the 

 eggs, and by the time the jars arrive in this country they contain 

 thousands of fry. 



These fish are very popular among the Chinese and fetch high 

 prices in the markets. They attain a length of three feet or more 

 and a weight of perhaps 20 to 25 pounds. The utilitarian owners 

 feed them on food of such a disgusting nature, i^rincipally excreta, 

 that I can say nothing as to their edilde qualities, as I have never 

 felt any wish to taste them. 



I im])orted some many years ago and intended to stock a pond 

 in Kuala Pilah but unfortunately the sliip was placed in quarantine 

 and as their period of confinement in jars is limited, all the fry 

 perished. Tliese imported Carp liave not, so far as I know, been 

 bred in this country and it is more than likely that they require 

 fresh running streams for the natural development of their ova. 



The question of stocking some of our streams may be worth 

 consideration, Ijut I doubt it, as we have so many indigenous Carp. 

 In this connection it is well to rememl)er that these Carp which 

 have been artificially bred for centuries, have yielded numerous 

 examples of hybridism. I have read in an American magazine of 

 a sportsman who for lack of other bait used a(|uarium gold fish 

 ( Carp ) very successfully as live bait. He kept a stock of them in 

 a fountain wliere they interbred with small species of American 

 Car[3 with the most extraordinary results. 



Profes-ors Max Weber and de Beaufort write of the Ci/priniis, 

 ^'Distribution: Fresh water of temperate jiarts of Asia aud 

 Europe, from where introduced in many ])arts of the world and 

 ■changed into many varieties." 



We have many species of BiirhuH including the famous sport- 

 ing fish the Mahseer of India, our Temoleh (Barhiis mosal). The 

 Kerai (Bnrhus iip.illi) is said by Day to attain a weight of 50 or 60 

 pounds. 



