Photo: Howard Jelks, U.S. Geological Survey, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Croaking gourami
Trichopsis vittata
7 cm
Adult size
100 L
Minimum volume
2
Minimum group
8 years
Lifespan
Water parameters
Understand these values- Genus
- Trichopsis
- Diet
- carnivore
- Social life
- small group
In the wild
Overview
Described in 1831 by Georges Cuvier from fish from Java, the croaking gourami owes its name to its ability to produce audible sounds, “croaks”, thanks to a mechanism of pectoral fin tendons unique in the family Osphronemidae. Vittata means “striped” in Latin.
It is the largest of the Trichopsis (up to 8 cm); its filamentous anal fin rays almost reach the tip of the tail. The populations of the Sunda Islands may belong to a separate species.
- Scientific name
- Trichopsis vittata (Cuvier, 1831)
- Classification
- Anabantiformes › Osphronemidae
- IUCN Red List
- Least concern (LC)
Natural habitat
Indochina (lower Mekong, Thailand, Myanmar), Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore; reported from Sumatra, Borneo and Java
Observations (GBIF) and localities Native countries Rivers and lakes
It occurs over much of Indochina (lower Mekong in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, Thailand, lower Salween in Myanmar), in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. Feral populations exist in the Philippines, India and the United States.
It occupies all calm lowland habitats: swamp forests, peat swamps, floodplains, irrigation canals, rice paddies and ditches, with a clear preference for still, heavily vegetated water. It must breathe air at the surface.
Behaviour
Peaceful except when breeding, it can live in a pair or small group, in which displays and exchanges of “croaks” between males can be observed. It feeds on zooplankton, crustaceans and insect larvae.
The male builds a bubble nest; the eggs, which sink, are picked up by one or both parents and put back in the nest. Soft, slightly warmer water encourages spawning, and a tight-fitting lid protects the fry's air breathing.
Sources:FishBase Seriously Fish GBIF · Base map: Natural Earth