Pearl Gourami

The pearl gourami is not only one of the most attractive gouramis but also one of the hardiest and easiest to keep. It is a labyrinth fish, meaning that it can gulp air at the surface of the water and hold it in its labyrinth chamber of the first gill arch, which is a lung-like organ that enables it to breathe air in addition to using gills. Like some other labyrinth fish, the pearl gourami can vocalize; don't be surprised if you hear your pet "talking" with growling or croaking noises, especially when breeding, or fighting with another male.

Characteristics
Family: Osphronemidae
Origin: Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo, and Thailand
Social: Peaceful, but males may be territorial
Tank Level: Top, mid-dweller
Minimum Tank Size: 20 gallons
Diet: Omnivore
Breeding: Bubble nest builder
Care: Easy
pH: 5.5 to 7.5
Hardness: 2 to 30 dH
Temperature: 77 F to 82 F (25 C to 28 C)

Like others in its family, the body shape is elongated and laterally compressed. The ventral (pelvic) fins are long and thin, and they have the appearance of long feelers, as suggested by the Genus name Trichopodus, which means "hair-feet." The mouth is small and upturned, indicating that they often feed at the surface of the water. Pearly spots on a brown background covering the body give it a mother-of-pearl appearance, from which it derives its name. A horizontal black line runs from the mouth, across the eye, to the tail, where it ends in a spot. They exhibit orange coloring on the ventral head, which becomes much brighter at breeding time and is used to attract a mate.

Pearl gourami are generally peaceful fish that do well in a large community aquarium; however, avoid keeping them with overly aggressive tankmates. There are a few exceptions to this rule: the males, in particular, may become aggressive to others of the same species (or other gouramis in general). It is best to keep these fish with other species of about the same size and temperament; they can also live happily with other small schooling fish. If you are keeping several pearl gouramis, a good grouping includes one male and several females.

Pearl gouramis will accept many foods and are generally quite easy to feed. Flake, freeze-dried, and frozen foods are all readily taken. For optimum health, occasionally offer fresh vegetables such as romaine lettuce, cooked peas, and spinach as part of a varied diet. Live foods such as blackworms, brine shrimp, and glass worms are a good treat and should be used when conditioning fish for breeding.

Male pearl gouramis have thinner, more angular bodies than females. They also have slightly longer fins, sport a red breast, and are generally more colorful than females. Adult males are easy to distinguish from the females by their deep red-orange coloration on the throat and breast. Another clue is the dorsal fin, which is longer and more pointed on the male than the female. When ready to spawn, the female will have a much plumper body than the male.