ANABAS : CLIMBING PERCH

CLASSIFICATION OF ANABAS : CLIMBING PERCH

Phylum :- CHORDATA ( Notochord and dorsal tubular nerve cord present and gill-slits present).

Group :- CRANIATA ( Cranium with brain present ).

Subphylum :- VERTEBRATA (Vertebral column present ).

Division :- GNATHOSTOMATA ( Jaws and paired appendages present ).

Super class :- PISCES (Paired fins , gills and skin with scales)

Class :- OSTEICHTHYES ( Bony fishes ).

SUB-CLASS :- ACTINOPTYERGII ( Ray finned fish ).

SUPER ORDER :- TELEOISTEI ( Bony fish proper).

Order :- PERCOMRPHI (Perches. Dorsal and anal fins with spiny and soft fin rays. Pectoral arch attached to skull by forked post-temporal). 

FAMILY :-  ANABANTIDAE

GENUS :- Anabas

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION

• Anabas is distributed in Myanmar, India, Africa, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Malayasia Archipelago.

HABIT AND HABITAT

• Anabas is a common South Indian fresh-water fish. It can live out of water for a long period. It is predator on shrimps, ostracods, gastropod shells and young fishes. Male exhibits parental care.

GENERAL CHARACTERSTICS OF ANABAS : CLIMBING PERCH

• Commonly known as climbing perch.
• Fish measuring about 30 cm is olive green in colour.
• Body of the fish covered by cycloid scales and divided into head, trunk and tail.
• Head is conical containing large eyes, nostrils and mouth. Jaws, prevomer and parasphenoid with fixed conical teeth.
• In front of eyes is a pre-orbital bone containing spines. Small spines also occur along the edge of operculum. 
• Dorsal fin consists anterior dorsal fin and posterior dorsal fin. Similary anal fin divided into anterior anal fin and posterior anal fin. Caudal fin is fan shaped. 
• Ventral are anteriorly situated almost below pectorals.
• Accessory respiratory super-branchial organ is well developed, having thin and folded bony laminae covered with mucous membrane. Air bladder physoclistous.
• Tail is perfectly symmetrical.

SPECIAL FEATURE

Anabas is able to walk on land by spines in search of earthworms. The crows and kites attack them and take tlIeir bodies over trees, and thus the fish is called as climbing perch, .as the fish might have climbed trees. But the fish cannot climb the tree. Anabas is so much dependent on atmospheric oxygen that it is asphyxiated if kept in water with no access to air. Fish can live out of water for a long period.

IDENTIFICATION

 This fish has dorsal and anal fins rays and above features, hence it is Anabas

REFERENCES

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anabas
• Book of Practical Zoology VERTEBRATE by S.S.LAL – Rastogi Publications.
• SOURCES OF  IMAGES  –  https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/anabas