Osphronemus

Osphronemus goramy

The giant gouramis ( Osphronemus ), also known simply gouramis or Speiseguramis, are the species with the greatest representatives of the labyrinth fish ( Anabantoidei ).

Species

There are four types:

• Osphronemus Exodon ( Roberts, 1994), is up to 60 inches long and lives exclusively in the basin of the Mekong River.
• Osphronemus goramy ( Lacepede, 1801), is up to 70 inches long and lives in Sumatra, Borneo, Java, the Malay Peninsula, Thailand and Indochina, in the basin of the Mekong River.
• Osphronemus laticlavius ​​( Roberts, 1992), is up to 50 inches long and lives in Malaysia and Indonesia.
• Osphronemus septemfasciatus ( Roberts, 1992), is up to 50 inches long and lives in Borneo.

Appearance

Adult animals are characterized by a more or less pronounced hump on the forehead, as well as a beaded lip area. Young animals, however, have a pointed head shape, since them the concise features of the adult birds are still missing. From Osphronemus goramy exists a golden yellow cultivar.

Reproduction

Giant gouramis build a bubble nest between aquatic plants, which is reinforced with plant parts. About 3,000 to 4,000 oval eggs having a diameter 2.5 to 2.9 mm are put into it. The nest is guarded by the male until the fry hatch after 35 to 40 hours, and leave it after 10 to 14 days.

Use

Giant gouramis are in South Asia, Australia, Central and South America important food fish that are bred in ponds. Because they can breathe air as labyrinth fish, must not be very on the water quality. For a tropical fish they grow slowly and reach the required size for a marketing only after 18 months. They are considered very tasty and fetch a high price.

Giant gouramis are also attractive inhabitants of large public aquariums in zoos and are shown there often.

Nomemklatur

The form of the name Osphromenus (instead Osphronemus ) can still be found in older reference and valid today, eg in the related genus Parosphromenus. The explanation can be found here at labyrinth organ.