Gourami

Gouramis
	Dwarf gourami (Trichogaster lalius)
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", of Javanese origin, 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

Gouramis, particularly the three 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. 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.
  - Emerald green 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
  - Ornate paradisefish, 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)

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

Betta albimarginata
Siamese fighting fish (Betta splendens)
Female and male dwarf gouramis (Colisa lalia) showing sexual dimorphism
Macropodus erythropterus
Paradise fish (Macropodus opercularis)
Giant gourami (Osphronemus goramy)
Three spot gourami (Trichopodus trichopterus)
Gold Gourami
Color morph of Trichopodus trichopterus

References

^ Eschmeyer, W.N. & Fricke, R. (eds). "Trichogaster". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 14 November 2011. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Eschmeyer, W.N. & Fricke, R. (eds). "Trichopodus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 14 November 2011. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2004). "Osphronemidae" in FishBase. October 2004 version.
"Osphronemidae". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved May 21, 2007.
Goldstein, Howard (2005). "Searching for the Pygmy Gourami". Tropical Fish Hobbyist. 54 (1): 93. 0041-3259. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
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.

[CoF_Trichogaster-1] Eschmeyer, W.N. & Fricke, R. (eds). "Trichogaster". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 14 November 2011. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[CoF_Trichopodus-2] Eschmeyer, W.N. & Fricke, R. (eds). "Trichopodus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 14 November 2011. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

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