Chocolate gourami

Chocolate gourami
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Family:	Osphronemidae
Genus:	Sphaerichthys
Species:	S. osphromenoides
Binomial name
Sphaerichthys osphromenoides Canestrini, 1860

The chocolate gourami, Sphaerichthys osphromenoides, is a small species of gourami. These fish originate from the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo.^[1]

Appearance and anatomy

Chocolate gouramis reach a length of 6 centimetres (2 in).^[1] These fish have a chocolate colour with golden bands running down its body.

Ecology

These fish are restricted to peat habitats.^[1] Unlike many other labyrinth fish, which breed by incubating their eggs in a bubble nest, this species is a mouthbrooder.^[1] The female incubates the eggs in her mouth.^[2] These fish are omnivorous, but feed primarily on insects.^[1]

In the aquarium

They are popular aquarium fishes but they are a challenging species to keep in an aquarium. Without optimum water conditions, these fish are susceptible to bacterial infections and skin parasites.^[2]

Chocolate Gouramis are best kept on their own in well planted species aquaria with gentle filtration. They require soft, acidic water; most of all, they prefer a higher temperature than most fish. Temperature should be maintained at 25–27°C (77–81°F).^[2] They are generally fussy eaters, preferring to eat live foods or freeze-dried, frozen equivalents over flake food.^[3]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2007). "Sphaerichthys osphromenoides" in FishBase. May 2007 version.
2. ^ ^{a b c} Sanford, Gina (1999). Aquarium Owner's Guide. New York: DK Publishing. ISBN 0-7894-4614-6. 
3. ^ Axelrod, Herbert R. (1996). Exotic Tropical Fishes. T.F.H. Publications. ISBN 0-87666-543-1. 

• "Sphaerichthys osphromenoides". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=172667. Retrieved 18 April 2006. 

See also

Dwarf Gourami
Blue gourami
Kissing Gourami
Pygmy gourami
Croaking Gourami
Giant Gourami