gourami

 

(gūrä'mē) , tropical freshwater fish of the labyrinth fish family. Like other members of their family, gouramis have a labyrinthine breathing apparatus connected to each gill chamber that enables them to utilize atmospheric oxygen. They can therefore live in oxygen-poor water. Gouramis are native to SE Asia and Africa. The true gourami, Osphronemus goramy, reaches a length of 2 ft (60 cm). It originated in Indonesia, but has been introduced in China and S Asia, where it is cultivated as an important food fish. Certain smaller members of the family, popular as aquarium fishes, are also called gouramis. Best known is the white, 10-in. long (25-cm) kissing gourami (Helostoma temmincki). Other popular gouramis are the moonlight gourami (Trichogaster microlepis) of Thailand, a 6-in. (15-cm) long, silvery-blue fish with long, threadlike ventral fins, and other Trichogaster species. The talking, or croaking, gourami (Trichopsis vittatus), a 2-in. (5-cm) long fish, is noted for the curious sounds produced by the males when they surface for air at night. The labyrinth fishes also include the betta, or fighting fish, and the so-called climbing perch, or walking fish, of SE Asia. They are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Osteichthyes, order Perciformes, family Anabantidae.

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

The gouramis or gouramies 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.

Many gouramies 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 gouramies 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.

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 Macropodinae (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.
    • Betta pi Tan, 1998.
    • Spotted betta, Betta picta (Valenciennes, 1846).
    • Betta pinguis Tan & Kottelat, 1998.
    • 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.
    • 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 (Engmann, 1909).
  • 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 Colisa
    • Dwarf gourami, Colisa lalia (Hamilton, 1822).
    • Thick-Lipped Gourami, Colisa labiosa Day, 1877
    • Indian Gourami, Colisa fasciata
  • Genus Ctenops
    • Frail gourami, Ctenops nobilis McClelland, 1845.
  • Genus Luciocephalus
    • Pikehead, Luciocephalus pulcher (Gray, 1830).
  • Genus Parasphaerichthys
    • Parasphaerichthys lineatus Britz & Kottelat, 2002.
    • Eyespot gourami, Parasphaerichthys ocellatus (de Beaufort, 1933).
  • Genus Polyacanthus
    • Banded gourami, Polyacanthus fasciatus (Regan, 1910).
  • Genus Sphaerichthys
    • Sphaerichthys acrostoma Vierke, 1979.
    • Chocolate gourami, Sphaerichthys osphromenoides Canestrini, 1860.
    • Sphaerichthys selatanensis Vierke, 1979.
    • Sphaerichthys vaillanti Pellegrin, 1930.
  • Genus Trichogaster
    • Honey gourami, Trichogaster chuna (Hamilton, 1822).
    • Pearl gourami, Trichogaster leerii (Bleeker, 1852).
    • Moonlight gourami, Trichogaster microlepis (Günther, 1861).
    • Snakeskin gourami, Trichogaster pectoralis (Regan, 1910).
    • Three spot gourami (aka blue gourami, opaline gourami, and gold gourami), Trichogaster trichopterus (Pallas, 1770).
• 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.

In the Aquarium

Gouramis, particulary blue, gold, opaline and dwarf, are often kept in the home aquarium. Though often considered peaceful, they can kill most other smaller or long finned fish. They shred other fishes' fins to the point that the victim can't swim and dies.

See also

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

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

References

• "Osphronemidae". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. October 2004 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2004.
• Osphronemidae (TSN 172678). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Accessed on May 21 2007.
• Goldstein, Howard (September 2005). "Searching for the Pygmy Gourami". Tropical Fish Hobbiest 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. 

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)

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