Gouramis, or gouramies, are a group of freshwater anabantiform fish that comprise the family Osphronemidae. The fish are native to Asia—from the Indian Subcontinent to Southeast Asia and northeasterly towards Korea. The name "gourami", of Indonesian origin, is also used for fish of the families Helostomatidae and Anabantidae.
The three spot gourami, also known as the opaline gourami, blue gourami, and gold gourami, is a species of fish native to southeastern Asia, but also introduced elsewhere. This gourami gets its name from the two spots along each side of its body in line with the eye, considered the third spot. This species is of minor commercial importance as a food fish in its native range and is also farmed. It is also popular in the aquarium trade. The species reaches 15 cm in standard length.
Kissing gouramis, also known as kissing fish or kissers, are medium-sized tropical freshwater fish comprising the monotypic labyrinth fish family Helostomatidae. These fish originate from Mainland Southeast Asia, Greater Sundas and nearby smaller islands, but have also been introduced outside their native range. They are regarded as a food fish and they are sometimes farmed. They are used fresh for steaming, baking, broiling, and pan frying. The kissing gourami is a popular aquarium fish.
The paradise fish, paradise-fish, paradisefish, or paradise gourami is a species of gourami found in most types of fresh water in East Asia, ranging from the Korean Peninsula to northern Vietnam. This species can reach a standard length of 6.7 cm, though most are only about 5.5 cm . Paradise gouramis were one of the first ornamental fish available to western aquarium keepers, having been imported 1869 to France by the French aquarium fish importer Pierre Carbonnier in Paris. The paradise fish is one of the more aggressive members of its family. It is more aggressive than the three spot gourami, yet less pugnacious in nature than the less commonly kept combtail.
The Siamese fighting fish, commonly known as the betta, is a freshwater fish native to Southeast Asia, namely Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. It is one of 73 species of the genus Betta, but the only one eponymously called "betta", owing to its global popularity as a pet; Betta splendens are among the most popular aquarium fish in the world, due to their diverse and colorful morphology and relatively low maintenance.
The dwarf gourami is a species of gourami native to South Asia.
Bubble nests, also called foam nests, are created by some fish and frog species as floating masses of bubbles blown with an oral secretion, saliva bubbles, and occasionally aquatic plants. Fish that build and guard bubble nests are known as aphrophils. Aphrophils include gouramis and the synbranchid eel Monopterus alba in Asia, Microctenopoma (Anabantidae), Polycentropsis (Nandidae), and Hepsetus odoe in Africa, and callichthyines and the electric eel in South America. Most, if not all, fish that construct floating bubble nests live in tropical, oxygen-depleted standing waters. Osphronemidae, containing the Bettas and Gouramies, are the most commonly recognized family of bubble nest makers, though some members of that family mouthbrood instead. The nests are constructed as a place for fertilized eggs to be deposited while incubating and guarded by one or both parents until the fry hatch.
The royal gramma, also known as the fairy basslet, is a species of fish in the family Grammatidae native to reef environments of the tropical western Atlantic Ocean. They are commonly kept in aquariums.
The croaking gourami is a species of small freshwater labyrinth fish of the gourami family. They are native to still waters in Southeast Asia and are distributed worldwide via the aquarium trade. Croaking gouramis are capable of producing a "croaking" noise using their pectoral fins.
The pygmy gourami, also known as the sparkling gourami, is a freshwater species of gourami native to Southeast Asia.
The Anabantoidei are a suborder of anabantiform ray-finned freshwater fish distinguished by their possession of a lung-like labyrinth organ, which enables them to breathe air. The fish in the Anabantoidei suborder are known as anabantoids or labyrinth fish, or colloquially as gouramies. Some labyrinth fish are important food fish, and many others, such as the Siamese fighting fish and paradise fish, are popular as aquarium fish.
Betta persephone is a species of labyrinth fish endemic to Malaysia where it is only known from Johor. This betta's specific epithet derives from the Greek goddess Persephone, queen of the Underworld, a reference to the largely blackish colouration of this fish.
The thick-lipped gourami is a species of gourami native to Southeast Asia, and is a popular aquarium fish.
The moonlight gourami, also known as the moonbeam gourami, is a labyrinth fish of the family Osphronemidae native to Indochina. This peaceful species is a popular aquarium fish.
Parosphromenus harveyi is a species of gourami endemic to Malaysia, where it is only known from Selangor. The most extreme freshwater habitats in Peninsular Malaysia is the peat swamp forest that consist of dark-coloured and highly acidic waters. Parosphromenus harveyi is known as licorice gourami, small labyrinth fishes located within the north Selangor peat swamp forest from the Tanjong Malim area in neighbouring Perak state at least one population distribution that exhibit a wide variety of morphological and behavioural traits. Species of the osphronemid genus Parosphromenus that stenotypic inhabitant of peat swamp forests and associated black water streams which has a very little light penetrates. Parosphromenus was established by Brown, 1987. Since 1950s, the additional taxa have been described on a sporadic basis and there are 20 recognised members at present.
Betta smaragdina, commonly known as the emerald green betta, blue betta or Mekong fighting fish is a species of gourami native to Southeast Asia. The species gets its green and blue colors due to refraction and interference of light that results from hexagonal crystals that are less than 0.5 micrometres. It is found in the aquarium trade.
Betta is a large genus of small, active, often colorful, freshwater ray-finned fishes, in the gourami family (Osphronemidae). The best known Betta species is B. splendens, commonly known as the Siamese fighting fish and often kept as an aquarium pet.
Microctenopoma fasciolatum or the banded bushfish is an Anabantoid fish of the genus Microctenopoma. It is native to the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo and a few rivers in Cameroon, occurring in the lower and central parts of the Congo River. This species has numerous irregular dark stripes running vertically across its body, with a horizontal lighter stripe separating them. The banding becomes more pronounced as the fish ages. In males, the dorsal and annal fins are more pointed, and - in some populations - have bright iridescent blue spots. This species, like many related anabantoids lays its approximately 1000 eggs into a bubble nest. This fish grows to a size of 9 cm (3.5 in).
Betta cracens is a species of gourami endemic to the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. It is an inhabitant of freshwater swamp forest. This species grows to a length of 5.7 cm (2.2 in), typically inhabits blackwaters that have very soft and very acidic water and is a bubble nest brooder. The Latin term cracens means "slender" or "elegant" and is so named because of the fish's slender body. It was first described in 1996 by Heok Hui Tan and Peter K. L. Ng in The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology.
Betta mahachaiensis is a species of bubble-nesting betta native to Thailand, where it occurs naturally near the Gulf of Thailand. It is typically seen in stagnant waters in swamps, pools, and ponds. The species can be found in brackish waters, with salinity levels between 1.1 and 10.6 parts per thousand. Betta mahachaiensis is capable of living in both fresh water and brackish water, a trait unique among fish in the genus Betta. This species grows to a length of 5 to 6 cm. It is found in the aquarium trade.
