Gouramis
| Scientific Name | English Common Name | French Common Name |
|---|---|---|
| Colisa-labiosa | Sunset Gourami | Gourami sunset |
| Pseudosphromenus dayi | Spiketail Paradise Fish | Gourami dayi |
| Trichogaster microlepis | Moonlight Gourami | Gourami clair de lune |
The most striking feature of gouramis is that they possess a labyrinth organ that is used much like a lung to take oxygen directly from the air, rather than pulling it from the water through the gills. This is an adaptation to many of the locations where they are native. These often have very warm water that is shallow and may evaporate as the dry season progresses.
Many gouramis are found in many parts of Asia, such as India, Pakistan, and even through Malaysia and into Korea. These areas can have monsoons and then very dry periods where an existing water body will evaporate to a dirty puddle before the rains come again. There are other species found in Africa as wellAnother feature of many of these species is that they have two prominent extended rays below their pectoral fins that is absent from most other species. There are somewhere close to 90 species of these fish listed in the world today. Many are suitable for home aquariums, and are even quite popular.
The dwarf types especially often find a home in a small community aquarium where their brilliant colours can add an interesting mix to the other individuals housed there. Since they are labyrinth fish, they often remain near the surface and can be seen occasionally gulping air.
Many of the smaller dwarves are usually peaceful. Ones that grow larger should be considered only if they are to be kept in aquariums with larger fish able to take care of themselves. Although generally peaceful, unless they are a dwarf species that can outgrow a smaller aquarium and begin to cause problems with the other, suddenly smaller, fish.
Blue Spot and Opaline gouramis often become the king of the tank, and can become a problem as they grow. With that said, since they are able to breathe air, and are more tolerant of poor conditions on the whole, they are often a good starter fish to initiate a new aquarium.
Many gouramis use bubble nests when they are spawning. They pften exhibit some parental behaviour, since bubbles do break and the nest with the eggs must be kept repaired until the fry are ready to leave it. A bubble nest can be built independently, but more often it is attached to a structure like a plant stem or rock ledge at the surface. Quite often Bettas will build a nest, even though they are the only ones in the fish tank.
Most of these fish will do quite well on prepared commercial diets such as flakes and pellets, depending on their size. They will always enjoy the occasional treat of many of the freeze dried foods such as brine shrimp and any of the various worms offered in the freeze dried format.
The aquariums should be well decorated and planted. These give plenty of cover and often provide the structural support needed to bubble nests that are used in the courtship and spawning activities. If you want to promote spawning, an area with minimal surface agitation is useful.
