| Elephant ear gourami | |
|---|---|
 | |
| immature | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Anabantiformes |
| Family: | Osphronemidae |
| Genus: | Osphronemus |
| Species: | O. exodon |
| Binomial name | |
| Osphronemus exodon T. R. Roberts, 1994 | |
The elephant ear gourami (Osphronemus exodon) is a large species of gourami native to the Mekong river basin in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia.
In the wild, the elephant ear gourami is found in the Mekong river basin of Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia. [2] It is only known for certain from the middle part of the basin, from Kampong Cham Province (central Cambodia) to Sainyabuli Province (northern Laos). [3] The closely related giant gourami (O. goramy) has been reported from the same section, but these records are likely misidentifications of elephant ear gouramis. [4] [5] In contrast, reports of elephant ear gouramis from the Mekong Delta are possibly misidentifications of giant gouramis. [3] The only section of the Mekong basin where the giant gourami likely occurs naturally are in the southernmost part, like tributaries originating in the northern Cardamom Mountains. [4] [5]
During the wet season, elephant ear gouramis are found in flooded forests and floodplains. During the dry season, they are found in permanent bodies of water, like the Mekong mainstream. [2] Their seasonal movements are triggered by water levels. [3]
Adults can grow up to 60 centimetres (24 in). Like other species of the genus Osphronemus , juveniles and adults of this species have physical differences. Juveniles have 6 or 7 vertical stripes and a spot on the back, which fades as they get older. A red orange stripe appears around the bottom of the head when a juvenile grows up to about around 10 centimetres (3.9 in). Adults are pale on its fins and blackish on its body.
Elephant ear gouramis are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. [1] Dams in the Mekong disrupted the wet and dry season cycle which lowered the population of this species.
Adults reproduce in non flowing waters. They build nests with leaves and roots then one parent guards the nest.
The Mekong or Mekong River is a trans-boundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the world's twelfth-longest river and the third-longest in Asia with an estimated length of 4,909 km (3,050 mi) and a drainage area of 795,000 km2 (307,000 sq mi), discharging 475 km3 (114 cu mi) of water annually. From its headwaters in the Tibetan Plateau, the river runs through, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and southern Vietnam. The extreme seasonal variations in flow and the presence of rapids and waterfalls in the Mekong make navigation difficult. Even so, the river is a major trade route between Tibet and Southeast Asia. The construction of hydroelectric dams along the Mekong in recent decades causes serious problems for the river's ecosystem, including the exacerbation of drought.
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 giant ibis, the only species in the monotypic genus Thaumatibis, is a wading bird of the ibis family, Threskiornithidae. It is confined to northern Cambodia, with a few birds surviving in extreme southern Laos and a recent sighting in Yok Đôn National Park, Vietnam.
The iridescent shark,iridescent shark catfish is a species of shark catfish native to the rivers of Southeast Asia. Despite its name, it is not a shark. It is found in the Mekong basin as well as the Chao Phraya River, and is heavily cultivated for food there.
The Mekong giant catfish, is a large, threatened species of catfish in the shark catfish family (Pangasiidae), native to the Mekong basin in Southeast Asia and adjacent China. It is considered critically endangered due to overfishing and habitat loss.
The wildlife of Laos encompasses the animals and plants found in the Lao People's Democratic Republic, a landlocked country in southeastern Asia. Part of the country is mountainous and much of it is still clad in tropical broadleaf forest. It has a great variety of animal and plant species.
Osphronemus is a genus of large gouramis, the only genus within the subfamily Osphroneminae. These fish are known as the giant gouramis and are native to rivers, lakes, pools, swamps and floodplains in Southeast Asia, with O. exodon from the Mekong basin, O. laticlavius and O. septemfasciatus from Borneo, while O. goramy is relatively widespread. O. goramy has been introduced outside its native range in Asia, Africa and Australia.
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.
The snakeskin gourami is a species of gourami native to Southeast Asia. Prior to the merging of Belontidae to the family Osphronemidae, the snakeskin gourami was regarded as the largest member of its family. It is still the largest species in its genus and subfamily.
The giant salmon carp, also termed the Mekong giant salmon carp, is a species of freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae and the single species in the monotypic genus Aaptosyax. It is endemic to the middle reaches of the Mekong River in northern Cambodia, Laos and Thailand. Its population is much reduced (>90%) as a result of overfishing and habitat degradation, and it is now considered Critically Endangered.
The Jullien's golden carp is a species of endangered freshwater ray-finned fish in the family Cyprinidae found in Southeast Asian river basins. Its existence is being threatened by various economic activities, such as large-scale agriculture and the building of dams for hydropower.
The Mekong freshwater stingray, Hemitrygon laosensis, is a species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae, restricted to the Mekong and Chao Phraya Rivers in Laos and Thailand; the occurrence in Chao Phraya is considered an introduction. Measuring up to 62 cm (24 in) across, this ray has an oval pectoral fin disc, a tail with both upper and lower fin folds, and a midline row of spine-like dermal denticles. A characteristic feature of this species is its bright orange underside. The Mekong freshwater stingray preys on invertebrates and is aplacental viviparous. It has been assessed as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), as it is threatened by overfishing and habitat degradation.
Yasuhikotakia modesta is a tropical freshwater fish of the family Botiidae. It is native to large rivers in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. The blue botia is a widely available fish in the aquarium trade and can be purchased globally.
This page describes energy and electricity production, consumption and import in Laos.
Pao turgidus is a species of freshwater pufferfish native to the Mekong basin. It may also occur in the Chao Phraya basin in Thailand. This species grows to a length of 18.5 centimetres (7.3 in) SL.
Tor sinensis, the Chinese or Red mahseer is a species of mahseer native to the Mekong River. It is known with certainty only from Yunnan, China; reports from Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand require confirmation.
It is one of four currently valid species described from China, the others being Tor laterivittatus, Tor polylepis, and Tor yingjiangensis.
The giant red tail gourami is a large species of gourami belonging to the family Osphronemidae. This endangered fish is native to the Southeast Asian island of Borneo, where only known from the Kinabatangan and Segama river basins in Sabah, East Malaysia. First described in 1992 based on an aquarium specimen, its exact range was not entirely certain, leading some source to incorrectly also report it from Indonesia.
Pangasius conchophilus is a species of shark catfish. It is a freshwater, benthopelagic, potamodromous and tropical fish, measuring up to 120 centimetres (3.9 ft) long. It is found in the Mekong, Bangpakong, and Chao Phraya basins.
The giant gourami is a species of large gourami native to freshwater habitats in Southeast Asia. It has also been introduced elsewhere. The species is commercially important as a food fish and is also farmed. It can be found in the aquarium trade, as well. The species has been used for weed control on highly invasive aquatic plants like Salvinia molesta, as the giant gourami can be a voracious herbivore.
The threestripe gourami, also known as the Mekong croaking gourami, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish from the subfamily Macropodusinae which is part of the gourami family Osphronemidae. It is native to south-east Asia.
