Dwarf Gourami

Looks how to spot one

Scaled, laterally compressed labyrinth fish

A small, deep, flattened fish with a long-based dorsal and anal fin and a pair of thin, thread-like pelvic fins that work like feelers. Wild-type males are patterned with slanting bands of red and bright blue, while females are a plainer silver. Males grow a little larger and their dorsal and anal fins extend further, which makes pairs easy to tell apart.324

Personality what they are like

A gentle, somewhat shy fish that likes cover and slow water. It mixes well with small, peaceful tankmates, but males can stake out a territory and will squabble with other males, so one male per tank, ideally kept with a female, is the usual plan. Lively or very colourful fin-flashing species and other gouramis can provoke the male.23

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Not a fast swimmer: it cruises slowly through plants and regularly rises to the surface to take a breath of air. Gentle filtration and minimal current suit it best.251

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Keep the water clean and stable with regular partial water changes and gentle filtration. Water: about 22-28 C, pH roughly 6.0-8.0 (6.0-7.5 is a comfortable middle), hardness about 2-19 dGH.21

Home where they are happiest

A tank of at least 60 cm length (around 56 litres) for a pair, densely planted, with low water movement and plant material the male can use for nest building. Because it breathes air at the surface, leave open space at the top.21

Food basics what goes in the bowl

An omnivore that in the wild grazes small invertebrates, algae and the film of tiny life on plants and stones. In the aquarium a good flake or pellet works as the staple, topped up with frozen or live foods such as bloodworm and brine shrimp, plus some plant-based food.23

Company who they like around

Best kept singly or as a male-female pair, not as a group of males. Good companions are small peaceful fish such as rasboras, small tetras, loaches and Corydoras catfish.2

The story where it all began

The Scottish surgeon-naturalist Francis Hamilton described the species in 1822 from his surveys of fishes in the Ganges region. In its homeland in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh it was long caught as a small food fish and has its own local names. Over the following two centuries scientists shuffled it between several genera, and for a long time aquarists knew it as Colisa lalia before it was moved into Trichogaster. It became one of the classic community aquarium fishes, and breeders went on to produce solid-colour forms such as powder blue, flame red and neon blue. Virtually all fish in the trade are now captive-bred.321

Recognised by the official bits

IUCN Red List

Least Concern (assessed 21 January 2010)1

Taxonomy

Described by Francis Hamilton in 1822; placed over time in Trichopodus, Polyacanthus and Colisa before settling in Trichogaster. Family Osphronemidae (gouramis).3

Taxonomy

One of four species in the genus Trichogaster, alongside the honey, banded and thick-lipped gouramis4