Labyrinth fishes are only found in southern and western Africa and eastern and southeastern
Asia. Figure (1) represents the natural range of these fishes. The natural distribution of Labyrinth
fishes has a northern boundary in China at latitude 50 degrees. The eastern boundary of natural
distribution is in Korea at a longitude of 130 degrees. The southern most ranges are in Sumatra
south to the equator with the western limits in India to longitude 70 degrees east. Trichogaster
Trichopterus occurs naturally in southern Vietnam, the Suda Islands, Thailand and the Malayan
Peninsula (Richter 1988).
Trichogaster Trichopterus is the most common species of fish in rice-field areas and is sometimes
collected for food in certain parts of Asia and Africa (Alfred 1962). Generally the Trichogaster
spp. inhabit the thickly vegetated areas of rivers, canals, ditches, lakes and swamps to avoid preda