Banded gourami facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Banded gourami |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Illustration by Francis Day | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
 |
|
| Red: extant , Light red: possibly extant | |
| Synonyms | |
|
The banded gourami (also known as Trichogaster fasciata) is a colorful fish. It lives in warm, tropical waters in Asia. You can find it in countries like Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Myanmar, China, and Pakistan. People sometimes call it the "striped gourami" or "Colisa." It's also sometimes confused with the "giant gourami" because they share a similar name.
Contents
About the Banded Gourami
The banded gourami is a special kind of fish. It can breathe air using a unique organ. This organ is called a labyrinth organ. It helps the fish get oxygen from the air.
This fish has a long, flat body. Its mouth is small and can stick out a little. Young fish have tiny teeth near their eyes. The body is usually greenish. It has orange or bluish stripes. These stripes go from its back down to its belly fin.
Banded gouramis like to live near the bottom of the water. They prefer places with lots of plants. You can find them in rivers, ponds, lakes, and even rice fields.
People like this fish for a few reasons. It tastes good to eat in some places. It also adds important nutrients to people's diets. Plus, it's a beautiful fish for aquariums. It's a bit shy but strong. It can live well with other fish in a community aquarium. It's also easy to breed them in tanks.
Because of their bright colors, banded gouramis are sent to many countries. These include Germany, Japan, and the USA. Sadly, the number of these fish in nature is going down. This is due to human activities.
What Banded Gouramis Eat
The banded gourami has thick lips around its mouth. The top lip can stick out. Males have a more noticeable top lip. They have small, weak teeth inside their mouth. Their intestine is long and coiled.
These fish eat many different things. They are called omnivores. This means they can eat live food, frozen food, and even fish flakes.
How to Tell Males and Females Apart
Male banded gouramis are much more colorful than females. When they grow up, their top fin and belly fin become pointed. Males are also usually a bit bigger than females.
You can also tell them apart by looking at their lips. The male's upper lip is more noticeable. The back ends of the male's top and bottom fins are more pointed.
Life Cycle and Reproduction
The banded gourami lives for about four years. Their life has three main stages.
- Pre-spawning: January to March. This is before they lay eggs.
- Spawning: April to August. This is when they lay eggs.
- Post-spawning: September to December. This is after they lay eggs.
Banded gouramis can start having babies when they are one year old. At this age, males are about 10 centimeters long. Females are a bit smaller, around 6 to 8 centimeters.
Like other fish in their family, they build a "bubble nest." The male blows bubbles to make a floating nest. The eggs are then laid and fertilized outside the female's body.
Banded Gouramis and People
Before becoming popular in aquariums, the banded gourami was a common food fish. It is still eaten in its native countries. In Bangladesh, it's called "Kholisha." In India, it's known as "Khosti." In Punjab, people call it "Kungee." It has different names in other places too.
Scientific Discovery
The banded gourami was officially described in 1801. Two scientists, Marcus Elieser Bloch and Johann Gottlob Schneider, named it. They found it in a place called Tranquebar in India. This fish is the main example for its group, or genus, called Trichogaster.
