1849,] Catalogue of Malayan Fishes. 1069 



membrane golden green, the rays bright blood red, the fin edged with 

 black ; anal membrane bright blood red as far as the posterior 4 or 5 

 rays, the rest as well as the lower margin silvery light green or sky- 

 blue, the rays black ; ventral spine and rays black, the first ray termi- 

 nating in a silvery filament ; the membrane between the first, second 

 and third ray bright blood red, the rest black ; branchiostegous rays 

 and their very wide membrane black ; pectorals white, transparent. 

 Iris pale reddish golden with a bluish black spot in the centre of the 

 lower half. 



The number of fin rays, and other external characters are the same 

 as in the species, but the colours and the length of the dorsal, caudal, 

 anal and ventral fins are individually varying. The branchiostegous 

 membrane is remarkably wide and lax. When the fish is in a state of 

 quiet with the fins at rest, the dull colours present nothing remarkable. 

 But if two are brought within sight of each other, or if one sees its 

 own image in a looking glass, the little creature becomes suddenly ex- 

 cited, the raised fins and the whole body shine with metallic colours of 

 dazzling beauty, while the projected gill membrane, waving like a black 

 frill round the throat, adds something grotesque to the general appear- 

 ance. In this state it makes repeated darts at its real or reflected 

 antagonist. But both when taken out of each other's sight, instantly be- 

 come quiet. The description was drawn up in 1840 at Singapore, where a 

 gentleman had been presented with several by the King of Siam. They 

 were kept singly in glasses with water, fed with larvas of musquitoes, and 

 had thus lived for many months. The Siamese are as infatuated with 

 the combats of these fishes as the Malays are with their cock fights, 

 and stake considerable sums, and sometimes their own persons and 

 their families. The license of exhibiting fish fights is farmed, and 

 affords a considerable annual revenue to the King of Siam. 



Gen. Osphromenus, (Commerson) Cuvier, 1829 

 (Osphronemtjs [Comm.~\ Lacepede, 1800.) 

 Differs from Polyacantkus, Kuhl and Van Hasselt, by the shorter 

 extent of the dorsal fin, by the more complicated labyrinthform (super- 

 branchial) organ, by the very elongated, setaceous first ventral ray, and 

 by the toothed margin of the infraorbitals. In the young the margin 

 of pre- and interopercle are toothed. 



