Thick-lipped gourami facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Thick-lipped gourami |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Anabantiformes |
| Family: | Osphronemidae |
| Genus: | Trichogaster |
| Species: |
T. labiosa
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| Binomial name | |
| Trichogaster labiosa F. Day, 1877
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The thick-lipped gourami (Trichogaster labiosa) is a type of fish that lives in fresh water. It comes from Southeast Asia, especially Myanmar. Many people like to keep this fish in their home aquariums because it's beautiful and usually peaceful.
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What Does the Thick-Lipped Gourami Look Like?
These gouramis can grow to be about 9 centimeters (around 3.5 inches) long. Boy and girl fish look a bit different, which is called sexual dimorphism. The female fish is mostly silver. But the male fish has cool red and blue stripes that go across its body. The male also has pointy tips on its top fin, called the dorsal fin.
Where Do Thick-Lipped Gouramis Live?
This fish naturally lives in the fresh waters of southern Myanmar. It has also been brought to other places, like Colombia, where it now lives in the wild too.
Life Cycle: How Thick-Lipped Gouramis Reproduce
Like most other gouramis, the thick-lipped gourami builds a special "bubble nest" on the water's surface. The female lays her eggs in this nest. The male fish then guards the eggs to keep them safe. However, once the baby fish (called fry) hatch, the male usually leaves them alone.
Thick-Lipped Gouramis in Your Aquarium
The thick-lipped gourami is a popular fish for home aquariums all over the world. It's generally a calm fish that gets along well in a tropical community aquarium with other peaceful fish.
Caring for Your Gourami
Like other Trichogaster species, these fish can be a bit shy. They like to hide among plants if they feel scared. They prefer water that is warm, between 22°C and 28°C (72°F - 82°F). The water should also be soft and a little bit acidic (pH 6.0 - 6.5).
What Do They Eat?
Thick-lipped gouramis eat many different kinds of food. This includes flake foods, frozen bloodworms, and brine shrimp. It's best not to keep them with fish like barbs that might nip at their long, thread-like fins.
Breeding in Aquariums
T. labiosa are known to breed well in home aquariums. The male builds the bubble nests. He is less likely to bother the female if she isn't ready to lay eggs, compared to some other fish. It's interesting that the bubble nest can keep growing even after the eggs are laid! If you have a breeding tank, it's important to use a gentle filter so it doesn't break up the delicate bubble nest.
New Colors: Hybrid Gouramis
People have also carefully bred the thick-lipped gourami with other types of gouramis, like the banded gourami and the dwarf gourami. This creates new fish with different color patterns, such as gold, red, and green.
