1849.] Catalogue of Malayan Fishes. 10/1 



shorter than in the young, in which it sometimes reaches the caudal fin. 

 Both at Pinang and at Malacca this fish has been successfully naturalised 

 though in the former place it is not numerous, but confined to a few 

 ponds. They become tame so as to appear on the approach of their 

 feeder, and will rise to flies, beetles, and certain flowers, particularly 

 a large Hibiscus. Among themselves they are pugnacious. Many 

 years ago several living ones were imported, and placed in a tank in the 

 Calcutta Botanical Gardens, where they appeared to thrive. Little 

 care, however, having been bestowed on their preservation, but a solitary 

 one survived in 1841. 



Genus. Trichopodus, Lacepede, 1800. 

 Scarcely differs from Osphromenus but by a more convex forehead, 

 and by a dorsal fin of less extent.* 



Trichopodus trichopterus, (Pallas.) 

 Plate II. Fig. 5. (Head.) 



Sparus, Koelreuter. Nov. Comm. Petrop. IX. P. 452, PI. 9, 



Labrus trichopterus, Pallas : Spicil, Fasc. 8, 45. [Fig« I- 



Labrus trichopterus, Linne : Syst. 1286. 



Trichopode trichoptere, Lacepede, III. 129. 



Trichogaster trichopterus, Bloch-Schneider, PI. 295, Fig. 2. 



Trichopus pallasii, Shaw, IV. 392. 



Trichopus trichopterus, ( Cuvier > R ' A ' IL 229 ('') 



I Cuv. and Val. VII. 388, PI. 199. 



Trichopus maculatus, Swainson, II. 235. 



Trichopus trichopterus, Bleeker : Verh. Batav. Gen. XXII. 4. 

 Head above, back and sides to a little below the lateral line brownish 

 olive, each scale of the latter with a sky-blue or verdigris rectangular 

 spot ; cheeks and opercles silvery light blue with lilac reflection ; sides 

 below the lateral line silvery light blue, abdomen silvery reddish lilac, 

 all the scales irridescent, edged with reddish brown forming an irre- 

 gular network ; from the angle of the mouth through the iris, below 

 the silvery lateral line to the root of the caudal a black zig-zag band, 

 widening at the termination into a large spot, and in some individuals 

 a similar in the centre part of the band ; dorsal spines and rays whitish 

 grey, their membrane dark grey with numerous white rounded spots ; 



* Although to these differences may be added a less complicated labyrinthform 

 organ, and five branchiostegous rays, the genus rests but on slender characters. 



6 Y 



