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Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Anabantoidei
Family: Anabantidae
Genus: Anabas
Cloquet, 1816

Anabas is a genus of climbing gouramies native to southern and eastern Asia. In the wild, Anabas species grow up to 30 cm long. They inhabit both brackish and fresh water.[1] Anabas species possess a labyrinth organ, a structure in the fish's head which allows it to breathe atmospheric oxygen, so it can be out of water for an extended period of time (6–8 hr). They are carnivorous, living on a diet of water invertebrates and their larvae, and they guard their eggs. Species are found in South Asia, including India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Burma, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines.


There are two recognized species in the genus Anabas:[2]


  1. ^
  2. ^ Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2012). Species of Anabas in FishBase. December 2012 version.