Ornate paradisefish

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Ornate paradisefish
Malpulutta kretseri.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Anabantiformes
Family: Osphronemidae
Subfamily: Macropodusinae
Genus: Malpulutta
Deraniyagala, 1937
Species:
M. kretseri
Binomial name
Malpulutta kretseri
Malpulutta kretseri Map.jpg
Red:present, Light red:possibly extinct

The ornate paradisefish (Malpulutta kretseri) or spotted gourami, is a species of gourami endemic to Sri Lanka. [1] [2] It is the only recognized species in its genus. [3]

It inhabits shallow, slow-flowing streams in forested areas shaded with plentiful vegetation near the edges and a substrate covered by leaf litter. It is a carnivore, preying on plankton, fish fry, and the larvae of insects. They can reach a length of 4 cm (1.6 in), though most are only around 2 cm (0.79 in). This species can also occasionally be found in the aquarium trade, [2] where it is reportedly exceedingly shy. The specific name of this fish honours the Sri Lankan lawyer and judge Oswald Leslie De Kretser II. [4]

References

  1. 1 2 Kotagama, O.; de Alwis Goonatilake, S.; Fernado, M. (2019). "Malpulutta kretseri". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T12726A117405689. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T12726A117405689.en . Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Malpulutta kretseri". FishBase . February 2014 version.
  3. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Malpulutta". FishBase . February 2021 version.
  4. Christopher Scharpf; Kenneth J. Lazara (21 October 2019). "Order ANABANTIFORMES: Families ANABANTIDAE, HELOSTOMATIDAE, OSPHRONEMIDAE, CHANNIDAE, NANDIDAE, BADIDAE, and PRISTOLEPIDIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 18 December 2019.