Chocolate gourami
The chocolate gourami is a species of gourami native to the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo.
Taxonomy
Sphaerichthys selatanensis has once been treated as a subspecies of this species; now it is deemed to be a closely related but separate species.
Description
As the common name suggests, the chocolate gourami has a cholocate color; additionally, golden bands run down the flanks. This species may reach a length of.
Ecology
The chocolate gourami is restricted to peat habitats. Unlike many other labyrinth fish, which breed by incubating their eggs in a bubble nest, this species is a mouthbrooder. Even more unusually, this species is a maternal mouthbrooder, with the female incubating the eggs in her mouth; all other anabantoid mouthbrooders are paternal mouthbrooders, with the male carrying the eggs and young larvae. The chocolate gourami is omnivorous, but feeds primarily on insects.
The chocolate gourami is a popular aquarium fish, but is challenging to keep. Without optimum water conditions, it is susceptible to bacterial infections and skin parasites. It is best kept alone in a well-planted aquarium with gentle filtration. It requires soft, acidic water, and prefers a water temperature higher than most other fish. The chocolate gourami is generally a fussy eater, preferring to eat live foods or freeze-dried, frozen equivalents over flake food.