Gourami

Gouramis
Dwarf gourami (Colisa lalia)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Suborder:	Anabantoidei
Family:	Osphronemidae Bleeker, 1859
Subfamilies
Belontiinae Macropodusinae Osphroneminae Luciocephalinae See text for genera and species.

Gouramis are a family, Osphronemidae, of freshwater perciform fishes. The fish are native to Asia, from Pakistan and India to the Malay Archipelago and north-easterly towards Korea. The name "gourami" is also used for fish of the families Helostomatidae and Anabantidae. "Gouramis" is an example of a redundant plural. Gourami is already plural, in its original language.

Many gouramis have an elongated ray at the front of their pelvic fins. Many species show parental care: some are mouthbrooders, and others, like the Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens), build bubble nests. Currently, about 90 species are recognised, placed in 4 subfamilies and about 15 genera.

The name Polyacanthidae has also been used for this family. Some fish now classified as gouramis were previously placed in family Anabantidae. The subfamily Belontiinae was recently demoted from the family Belontiidae. As labyrinth fishes, gouramis have a lung-like labyrinth organ that allows them to gulp air and use atmospheric oxygen. This organ is a vital innovation for fishes that often inhabit warm, shallow, oxygen-poor water.

As food

Giant gouramis, Osphronemus goramy, are eaten in some parts of the world. In Indonesia they are often deep-fried and served in sweet-sour sauce, chili sauce, and other spices. Canned, fried gourami are available in China, and throughout the world in oriental supermarkets. Which species the cans contain is uncertain, however; the illustration on the lid of the can of one product depicts the moonlight gourami, Trichogaster microlepis.

In the aquarium

Female three spot gourami breathing air

Gouramis, particularly the tri-spot and dwarf, are often kept in home aquariums. As labyrinth fish, they will often swim near the top of the tank. As with other tropical freshwater fish, an aquarium heater is often used. Gouramis will eat either prepared or live foods. Some species can grow quite large, and are unsuitable for the general hobbyist.

Compatibility

Generally regarded as peaceful, gouramis are still capable of harassing or killing smaller or long-finned fish. Depending on the species, adult and juvenile males have been known to spar with one another; caution must be taken when keeping males together. Aggression can also occur as a result of overcrowding.

Gouramis have been housed with many species, such as danios, mollies, silver dollars, and plecostomus catfish, but will often show aggression toward species with long, flowing fins like male guppies, goldfish, and bettas.

Species

There are about 96 species in 15 genera.

• Subfamily Belontiinae (combtail gouramis)
  • Genus Belontia
    • Malay combtail, Belontia hasselti (Cuvier, 1831).
    • Ceylonese combtail, Belontia signata (Günther, 1861).
• Subfamily Macropodusinae (paradise fish)(pink and blue)
  • Genus Betta
    • Akar betta, Betta akarensis Regan, 1910.
    • Betta albimarginata Kottelat & Ng, 1994.
    • Giant betta, Betta anabatoides Bleeker, 1851.
    • Betta antoni Tan & Ng, 2006.
    • Betta balunga Herre, 1940.
    • Slim betta, Betta bellica Sauvage, 1884.
    • Betta breviobesus Tan & Kottelat, 1998.
    • Betta brownorum Witte & Schmidt, 1992.
    • Betta burdigala Kottelat & Ng, 1994.
    • Betta channoides Kottelat & Ng, 1994.
    • Betta chini Ng, 1993.
    • Betta chloropharynx Kottelat & Ng, 1994.
    • Betta coccina Vierke, 1979.
    • Betta compuncta Tan & Ng, 2006.
    • Betta dimidiata Roberts, 1989.
    • Betta edithae Vierke, 1984.
    • Betta enisae Kottelat, 1995.
    • Betta falx Tan & Kottelat, 1998.
    • Betta foerschi Vierke, 1979.
    • Dusky betta, Betta fusca Regan, 1910.
    • Betta hipposideros Ng & Kottelat, 1994.
    • Betta ibanorum Tan & Ng, 2004.
    • Betta ideii Tan & Ng, 2006.
    • Crescent betta, Betta imbellis Ladiges, 1975.
    • Betta krataios Tan & Ng, 2006.
    • Betta livida Ng & Kottelat, 1992.
    • Spotfin betta, Betta macrostoma Regan, 1910.
    • Betta mandor Tan & Ng, 2006.
    • Betta miniopinna Tan & Tan, 1994.
    • Betta patoti Weber & de Beaufort, 1922.
    • Betta persephone Schaller, 1986.
    • Elephant betta, Betta pi Tan, 1998.
    • Spotted betta, Betta picta (Valenciennes, 1846).
    • Betta pinguis Tan & Kottelat, 1998.
    • Big head betta, Betta prima Kottelat, 1994.
    • Forest betta, Betta pugnax (Cantor, 1849).
    • Betta pulchra Tan & Tan, 1996.
    • Betta renata Tan, 1998.
    • Toba betta, Betta rubra Perugia, 1893.
    • Betta rutilans Witte & Kottelat, 1991.
    • Betta schalleri Kottelat & Ng, 1994.
    • Krabi betta, Betta simplex Kottelat, 1994.
    • Blue betta, Betta smaragdina Ladiges, 1972.
    • Betta spilotogena Ng & Kottelat, 1994.
    • Siamese fighting fish, Betta splendens Regan, 1910.
    • Betta strohi Schaller & Kottelat, 1989.
    • Borneo betta, Betta taeniata Regan, 1910.
    • Betta tomi Ng & Kottelat, 1994.
    • Betta tussyae Schaller, 1985.
    • Betta uberis Tan & Ng, 2006.
    • Howong betta, Betta unimaculata (Popta, 1905).
    • Betta waseri Krummenacher, 1986.
  • Genus Macropodus
    • Macropodus erythropterus Freyhof & Herder, 2002.
    • Macropodus hongkongensis Freyhof & Herder, 2002.
    • Roundtail paradisefish, Macropodus ocellatus (de Beaufort, 1933).
    • Paradise fish, Macropodus opercularis (Linnaeus, 1758).
    • Macropodus spechti Schreitmüller, 1936.
  • Genus Malpulutta
    • Spotted gourami, Malpulutta kretseri Deraniyagala, 1937.
  • Genus Parosphromenus
    • Parosphromenus allani Brown, 1987.
    • Parosphromenus anjunganensis Kottelat, 1991.
    • Parosphromenus bintan Kottelat & Ng, 1998.
    • Licorice gourami, Parosphromenus deissneri (Bleeker, 1859).
    • Spiketail gourami, Parosphromenus filamentosus (Oshima, 1919).
    • Parosphromenus linkei Kottelat, 1991.
    • Parosphromenus nagyi Schaller, 1985.
    • Parosphromenus ornaticauda Kottelat, 1991.
    • Parosphromenus paludicola Tweedie, 1952.
    • Parosphromenus parvulus Vierke, 1979.
  • Genus Pseudosphromenus
    • Spiketail paradisefish, Pseudosphromenus cupanus (Cuvier, 1831).
    • Pseudosphromenus dayi (Köhler, 1908).
  • Genus Trichopsis
    • Pygmy gourami, Trichopsis pumila (Arnold, 1936).
    • Threestripe gourami, Trichopsis schalleri (Kottelat & Ng, 1994).
    • Croaking gourami, Trichopsis vittata (Cuvier, 1831).
• Subfamily Luciocephalinae (Trichogastrinae)
  • Genus Ctenops
    • Frail gourami, Ctenops nobilis McClelland, 1845.
  • Genus Luciocephalus
    • Gold Spotted Pikehead, Luciocephalus aura (Tan & Ng, 2005)
    • Pikehead, Luciocephalus pulcher (Gray, 1830).
  • Genus Parasphaerichthys
    • Parasphaerichthys lineatus Britz & Kottelat, 2002.
    • Eyespot gourami, Parasphaerichthys ocellatus (de Beaufort, 1933).
  • Genus Sphaerichthys
    • Sphaerichthys acrostoma Vierke, 1979.
    • Chocolate gourami, Sphaerichthys osphromenoides Canestrini, 1860.
    • Sphaerichthys selatanensis Vierke, 1979.
    • Sphaerichthys vaillanti Pellegrin, 1930.
  • Genus Trichogaster ^[1]
    • Honey gourami, Trichogaster chuna (Hamilton 1822)
    • Trichogaster fasciata Bloch & Schneider 1801
    • Thick-Lipped Gourami, Trichogaster labiosa Day 1877
    • Dwarf gourami, Trichogaster lalius (Hamilton 1822)
  • Genus Trichopodus ^[2]
    • Trichopodus cantoris (Günther 1861)
    • Trichopodus leerii (Bleeker 1852); pearl gourami or lace gourami
    • Trichopodus microlepis Günther 1861; moonlight gourami or moonbeam gourami
    • Trichopodus pectoralis Regan 1910; snakeskin gourami or Siamese gourami
    • Trichopodus trichopterus (Pallas 1770); three spot gourami, blue gourami, opaline gourami or gold gourami (depending on the colour morph)
• Subfamily Osphroneminae (giant gouramis)
  • Genus Osphronemus
    • Elephant ear gourami, Osphronemus exodon Roberts, 1994.
    • Giant gourami, Osphronemus goramy Lacépède, 1801.
    • Giant red tail gourami, Osphronemus laticlavius Roberts, 1992.
    • Osphronemus septemfasciatus Roberts, 1992.

Gallery

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  Betta albimarginata

• 

  Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens)

• 

  Female and male dwarf gouramis (Colisa lalia) showing sexual dimorphism

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  Macropodus erythropterus

• 

  Paradise fish (Macropodus opercularis)

• 

  Giant gourami (Osphronemus goramy)

• 

  Three spot gourami (Trichogaster trichopterus)

• 

  Gold Gourami
  Color morph of Trichogaster trichopterus

See also

The name "gourami" is used of several other related fish that are now placed in different families:

• Kissing gourami (the sole species in the family Helostomatidae)
• Climbing gouramis (family Anabantidae)
  

References

1. ^ Eschmeyer, W.N. & Fricke, R. (eds). "Trichogaster". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. http://research.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatget.asp&genid=422. Retrieved 14 November 2011. 
2. ^ Eschmeyer, W.N. & Fricke, R. (eds). "Trichopodus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatget.asp?genid=472. Retrieved 14 November 2011. 

• Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2004). "Osphronemidae" in FishBase. October 2004 version.
• "Osphronemidae". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=172678. Retrieved May 21, 2007. 
• Goldstein, Howard (September 2005). "Searching for the Pygmy Gourami". Tropical Fish Hobbyist 54 (1): 93. 0041-3259. 
• Tan, HH and P Ng (2006). "Six new species of fighting fish (Telestei: Osphronemidae: Betta) from Borneo". Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters 17 (2): 97–114.