Kissing gourami

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iKissing gourami
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Anabantoidei
Family: Helostomatidae
Genus: Helostoma
Species: H. temminckii
Binomial name
Helostoma temminckii
Cuvier, 1829

Kissing gouramis, also known as kissers (Helostoma temminckii), are large tropical freshwater fish comprising the monotypic gourami family Helostomatidae (from the Greek elos [stud, nail], stoma [mouth]). Highly commercial food fish which are farmed in their native Southeast Asia, kissing gouramis are also popular with aquarists for the fish's peculiar "kissing" behaviour.

Contents

[edit] Physical description

Typical of gouramis, the body is deep and strongly compressed laterally. The long-based dorsal (16–18 spinous rays, 13–16 soft) and anal fins (13–15 spinous rays, 17–19 soft) mirror each other in length and frame the body; the posterior most soft rays of each are slightly elongated to create a trailing margin. The foremost rays of the jugular pelvic fins are also slightly elongated. The pectoral fins are large, rounded, and low-slung. The caudal fin is rounded to concave. The lateral line is divided in two, with the posterior portion starting below the end of the other; there are a total of 43–48 scales running the line's length.

Balloon kissing gourami in the aquarium
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Balloon kissing gourami in the aquarium

The most distinctive feature of the kissing gourami is its mouth. Other than being terminal rather than superior (as in other gourami families), the kissing gourami's mouth is highly protrusible; as its family name suggests, the lips are lined with horny teeth. However, teeth are absent from the premaxilla, dentaries, palatine, and pharynx. The gill rakers are also well-developed and numerous. The eye-visible scales of the body are ctenoid, whereas the scales of the top of the head are cycloid. Kissing gouramis reach a maximum size of 30 cm (12 inches) total length. There is no outward sexual dimorphism, but females are characteritically fatter.

There are two colour morphs encountered: the natural greens, which have lengthwise lateral stripes and opaque, dark brown fins; and the pseudo-albino pinks, which have a rose to orangy pink body and silvery scales, with transparent pinkish fins. There is also a "dwarf" or "balloon pink" variety, which is a mutated strain of the pink gouramis that are offered to hobbyists. The "balloons" are named so for their smaller and rounder bodies.

[edit] In the wild

Shallow, slow-moving, and thickly vegetated backwaters are the kissing gourami's natural habitat. They are midwater omnivores that feed primarily on benthic algae and aquatic plants, with insects taken from the surface and zooplankton and phytoplankton filtered through their many gill rakers supplementing their diet. The fish use their toothed lips to rasp algae from stones and other surfaces. This rasping action, which (to humans) looks superficially like kissing, is also used by males to challenge the dominancy of conspecifics.

Spawning occurs from May to October in Thailand. Kissing gouramis are open-water egg scatterers; spawning is initiated by the female and takes place under cover of floating vegetation. The eggs, which the adults do not guard, are spherical, smooth, and buoyant. Initial development is rapid: the eggs hatch after one day, and the fry are free-swimming two days thereafter. The Kissing gourami is the only member of the suborder Anabantoidei not to build a nest or otherwise care for its young.

[edit] In the aquarium

Kissing gouramis need a roomy tank in order to thrive; small juveniles will quickly outgrow a 70 cm (27 inch) tank. Kissing gouramis are tolerant toward conspecifics and heterospecifics of similar size, although male kissers will occasionally challenge each other; however, the "kissing" is never fatal. To prevent digging and to present enough surface area for algae growth, the substrate should consist of large-diameter gravel and stones. The aquarium's back glass should not be cleaned during regular maintenance, as the gouramis will feed on the algae grown there. Most plants will not survive the fish's grazing, so inedible plants such as Java fern, Java moss, or plastic plants are recommended.

The fish will accept vegetables such as cooked lettuce and any kind of live food. Water hardness should be between 5–30°dGH and pH between 6.8–8.5; the temperature should be between 22–28°C (72–82°F). When breeding kissing gouramis, soft water is preferred. As the fish do not build a nest, lettuce leaves placed on the water surface serve as a spawning medium. The lettuce will eventually host bacteria and infusoria which the fry will feed upon.

[edit] References

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