Trichogaster trichopterus
| Common Names: | Blue Gourami Crosby Gourami Golden Gourami Opaline Gourami Three Spot Gourami Two Spot Gourami |
| Synonyms: | Labrus trichopterus Trichopodus trichopterus Trichopus trichopterus |
| Family: | Osphronemidae |
| Category: | Labyrinth_Fish |
| Distribution: | Asia; South East Asia. |
| Main Ecosystem: | Flooding; Flooding |
| Temperament: | Territorial; Varies widely from peaceful to intolerant, depending on the personality of the individual fish. Generally, if the tank the gourami is being housed in is of adequate size (about 35 gallons or more, depending on the actual setup), the gourami makes a good aquarium inhabitant. In small or crowded setups, the Blue Gourami may become aggressive towards other fish. Male Blue Gouramis tend to be aggressive towards other male Blue Gouramis regardless of tank size, however, males can usually be kept with females successfully. Multiple females can generally be kept together as well in appropriately sized tanks. |
| Diet: | Ominvore; Largely insectivorous in the wild, the Blue Gourami is very easy to feed. It readily accepts flakes and other processed foods, and relishes live and frozen foods such as small worms and insect larvae. It will also eat some fruits and vegetables and may pick at some soft aquarium plants (usually without causing any significant damage, however). |
| Care: | Extremely easy to keep. A relatively large tank is needed to help prevent aggression issues with this species. Plants, driftwood, rocks, or other structures are recommended to provide hiding places and territorial bounderies. |
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| Potential Size: | Male: 12cm (4.7") Female: 12cm (4.7") |
| Water Region: | Middle, Surface; Middle-Surface |
| Activity: | Diurnal; Diurnal |
| Gender: | The male's dorsal fin is pointed. |
| Breeding: | Not hard. The Blue Gourami is a bubble nest builder. |
| Variants: | There are three morphs of the Blue Gourami available in the hobby, all of which are relatively common in stores. The first, the wild-type of the Blue Gourami, is often sold as the Three Spot Gourami. It is solid light blue in color, with two black or dark blue spots along the flanks (the third "spot" is actually the fishes' eye). The second morph is called the Opaline or Crosby Gourami. It is similarly light blue in color, but instead of spots, the fish instead has dark blue banding and marbling along its body. The third morph is the so-called "Gold Gourami", named for its obvious color. The markings on this variant can vary from the marbling found in Opaline Gouramis to the spots found on the wild-type Blue Gouramis. |
| Comments: | The Blue Gourami and its different morphs are arguably the most widely-kept gourami in the hobby. |
| Main Colours: | Blue, White, Orange |
| Markings: | Striped And Spotted |
| Mouth: | Upturned |
| Tail: | Concave |
| Search: | Show similar species Find compatible species |
| Image Credit: | © FishProfiles.com |
| Submitted By: | Adam |
| Contributors: | sirbooks, Natalie, Joe Potato |
| History: | View changes to this profile |
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