View source for Anabas testudineus

{{Short description|Species of fish}}
{{Speciesbox
| name = Climbing perch
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 20 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Ahmad, A.B. |author2=Hadiaty, R.K. |author3=de Alwis Goonatilake, S. |author4=Fernado, M. |author5=Kotagama, O. |date=2019 |title=''Anabas testudineus'' |volume=2019 |page=e.T166543A174787197 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T166543A174787197.en |access-date=20 November 2021}}</ref>
| image = Anabas testudineus.png
| image_caption = 
| taxon = Anabas testudineus
| authority = ([[Marcus Elieser Bloch|Bloch]], 1792)
| range_map = Anabas testudineus Map.jpg
| range_map_caption = Red: extant, Light red: possibly extant, Green: introduced
| synonyms = *''Anthias testudineus'' <small>Bloch, 1792</small> 
*''Amphiprion testudineus'' <small>(Bloch, 1792)</small> 
*''Antias testudineus'' <small>(Bloch, 1792)</small> 
*''Sparus testudineus'' <small>(Bloch, 1792)</small> 
*''Perca scandens'' <small>[[Dagobert Karl de Daldorff|Daldorff]], 1797</small> 
*''Anabas scandens'' <small>(Daldorff, 1797)</small> 
*''Lutjanus scandens'' <small>(Daldorff, 1797)</small> 
*''Sparus scandens'' <small>(Daldorff, 1797)</small> 
*''Amphiprion scansor'' <small>Bloch & [[Johann Gottlob Theaenus Schneider|Schneider]], 1801</small> 
*''Lutjanus testudo'' <small>[[Bernard Germain de Lacépède|Lacepède]], 1802</small> 
*''Anabas spinosus'' <small>[[John Edward Gray|Gray]], 1834</small> 
*''Anabas variegatus'' <small>[[Pieter Bleeker|Bleeker]], 1851</small> 
*''Anabas macrocephalus'' <small>Bleeker, 1855</small> 
*''Anabas microcephalus'' <small>Bleeker, 1857</small> 
*''Anabas trifoliatus'' <small>[[Johann Jakob Kaup|Kaup]], 1860</small> 
*''Anabas elongatus'' <small>[[C.L. Reuvens|Reuvens]], 1895</small>
| synonyms_ref = <ref name = FishBase/>
}}

The '''climbing perch''' ('''''Anabas testudineus''''') is a [[species]] of [[amphibious fish|amphibious]] [[freshwater fish]] in the [[family (biology)|family]] [[Anabantidae]] (the [[climbing gourami]]s).  A [[labyrinth fish]] native to [[Far East]]ern [[Asia]], the fish inhabits freshwater systems from [[Pakistan]], [[India]], [[Bangladesh]]  and [[Sri Lanka]] in the west, to [[Southern China]]  in the east, and to [[Southeast Asia]] west of the [[Wallace Line]] in the south.  It is likely that ''Anabas testudineus'' is a [[species complex]], with the [[binomial name]] applied to what are actually several different species. With further study, populations of this fish may be divided up into separate species and given new names.<ref name="iucn status 20 November 2021" /> In Nepalese Terai it is called "Pothiya". In Bengali it is called "দেশি কৈ" (Deshi Koi). In [[Maithili language|maithili]] spoken in [[Bihar]] it is called Kabai. In Indonesia, it is known by many names, such as ''betok'' (Indonesian), ''běthik'' (Javanese), and ''papuyu'' (Banjarese).

The climbing perch is [[euryhaline]] and can grow to {{cvt|25|cm|in}} in [[fish measurement|total length]].<ref name = FishBase/>  Outside its [[native range]]s, it is an [[invasive species]] that can live without water for 6–10 hours<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hughes |first1=G. M. |author2=B. N. Singh |title=Respiration in an Air-Breathing Fish, the Climbing Perch Anabas Testudineus Bloch |journal=Journal of Experimental Biology |date=1970 |volume=53 |issue=2 |pages=265–280 |doi=10.1242/jeb.53.2.265 |access-date=17 June 2020 |url=https://jeb.biologists.org/content/53/2/265.short|url-access=subscription }}</ref> and move on land by crawling/wriggling the body with its [[pectoral fin]]s. It is believed that the fish may be invading new territories by slipping aboard fishing boats.  The fish has been established in some islands east of the [[Wallace Line]], in eastern [[Indonesia]] and [[Papua New Guinea]], and is also believed to be advancing toward [[Northern Australia]]. In late 2005, the fish was discovered on [[Saibai Island]] and another small Australian island in the [[Torres Strait]] north of [[Queensland]], about three to four miles south of Papua New Guinea.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/11646009/Aggressive-walking-fish-is-heading-south-towards-Australia-scientists-warn.html  Jonathan Pearlman, Aggressive 'walking' fish is heading south towards Australia, scientists warn, The Telegraph, Tuesday 02 June 2015] from telegraph.co.uk, accessed June 2, 2015.</ref>

== Taxonomy ==
This species was [[Species description|first described]] by [[Marcus Elieser Bloch]] in 1792.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Zworykin |first=Dmitry D. |date=April 2023 |title=Anabas testudineus (Bloch, 1792), climbing perch (Anabantidae), and its discovery in India |url=https://www.euppublishing.com/doi/10.3366/anh.2023.0825 |journal=Archives of Natural History |language=en |volume=50 |issue=1 |pages=22–34 |doi=10.3366/anh.2023.0825 |issn=0260-9541|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==As food==
The climbing perch is important as a [[food fish]] in certain regions of [[South Asia]] and [[Southeast Asia]], where its ability to survive out of the water for extended periods of time, provided it is kept moist, improves its marketability.<ref name = FishBase>{{FishBase |genus= Anabas|species= testudineus| month = August | year = 2019}}</ref>
{| style="margin: 1em auto;"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|[[File:Pla mo-Thailand25.JPG|thumb|200px|''Pla mo'' at a riverside market in [[Ratchaburi Province]], Thailand]]
|[[File:Anabas testudineus (curry preparation)-5.JPG|thumb|200px|''Anabas testudineus'' [[curry]] preparation]]
|}

==In faith==
In [[Thailand]], the climbing perch can be found throughout every region and every type of water resource, it is normally consumed as [[Thai food|food]]. In the beliefs of [[Thai people|Thais]], it is believed that if this species of fish is released it will help ward off disease. Because its common name in Thai is ''pla mo'' (ปลาหมอ, {{IPA|th|plāː mɔ̌ː|pron}}), literally translated as ''"physician fish"''.<ref>{{cite web|language=thai|url=https://www.sanook.com/horoscope/87917/|work=Sanook.com|accessdate=2023-11-13|date=2022-07-20|title=
รู้ไหมว่า...ปล่อยปลาแต่ละชนิดมีความหมายอย่างไร}}</ref>
==See also==
*[[List of Thai ingredients]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline|Anabas testudineus}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q10540515}}

[[Category:Anabas|testudineus]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Marcus Elieser Bloch]]
[[Category:Fish described in 1792]]
[[Category:Freshwater fish of Indonesia]]
[[Category:Freshwater fish of Malaysia]]
[[Category:Freshwater fish of Japan]]
[[Category:Freshwater fish of China]]
[[Category:Freshwater fish of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Freshwater fish of India]]
[[Category:Fish of Bangladesh]]
[[Category:Freshwater fish of Sri Lanka]]
[[Category:Freshwater fish of the Philippines]]
[[Category:Fish of Thailand]]
[[Category:Fish of Vietnam]]
[[Category:Fish of Cambodia]]
[[Category:Fish of Laos]]


{{Anabantiformes-stub}}