|
|
|
Labyrinth Fish
/ Belontiidae / Licorice Gourami
Licorice Gourami, Deissner's Licorice Gourami
Parosphromenus deissneri | Pictures
Synonyms: Osphromenus
deissneri
Physical description: An elongated, moderately compressed species with a colorful, fan-shaped caudal fin.
The
dorsal and anal fins each have long bases.
The body is dark brown with two yellowish lateral stripes running from
the the snout to the caudal fin.
Occasionally these stripes are reddish.
The pelvic fins are bright blue as is the front
part of the anal fin.
The rear part of this fin is red, while the edging is light blue.
The caudal fin is dark brown with a
red semi-circular stripe.
This fin is also edged in blue-white.
The dorsal fin is brown with a stripe.
This
stripe begins as blue but becomes red near its rear.
This fin also has a white-blue edging.
Size/Length: To 1.5" (4 cm)
Similar species: Thread fin or Spike tail Licorice Gourami (
P. filamentosus), Nagy's Licorice Gourami
(P. nagyi
), Pygmy Licorice Gourami (
P. parvulus)
Habitat: Slow-moving black water in marshes, ponds, and lakes in Southeast Asia; southern Malaysia
S: bottom, middle
Aquarium: A tank measuring 20" (51 cm) with a capacity of 10 gallons (38 L) is sufficient.
The
tank should be dimly lit with a cover of floating plants.
The substrate should be dark, and the tank should
be heavily planted.
Provide at least one hiding place for each fish.
The filtration system should create
little or no current.
Shallow tanks having peat filtration are preferred.
Water chemistry: pH 5.5-7 (6.4), 1-8°dH (4), 75-81°F (24-27°C)
Social behavior: A timid and peaceful species that should be kept in pairs.
This species does best in a species
tank, although it can be combined with other small, clam fish.
Suggested companions: Other Parosphromenus
, Pangio
, Corydoras,
Trichopsis, Loricarids.
FOOD: This species requires a varied diet of live foods. Live;
Daphnia, Artemia, Cyclops, Drosophila,
whiteworms, Tubifex
; flakes
Sexual differences: Females are larger and less colorful.
Breeding techniques: Use water with a pH from 6.2-6.8, a water hardness from 1-4°dH, and a temperature
from 79-82°F (26-28°C).
The pair should be fed a varied diet.
A bubble nest is built by the pair in a cave.
After
an active courtship, the relatively large eggs are attached to the ceiling of the cave.
Each pairing produces 7-15 eggs until
40-100 are laid after two hours.
The male then chases off the female and assumes brood care.
The eggs hatch after three days, but
the fry remain in the nest for 3-4 more days.
The fry should be removed, and transferred to a rearing tank.
The
fry are sensitive to water pollutants, and should be raised with newly hatch
Artemia nauplii.
The young grow slowly.
Breeding potential: 8.
Breeding is difficult.
Remarks: Like other Licorice Gouramis,
P. deissneri rarely surfaces for air at
the water surface.
This species requires favorable water conditions in order to display its stunning coloration.
Thus,
in dealers' tanks, its colors are rarely present.
Difficulty of care: 7.
This sensitive species should be kept to a pair in a tank of their own.
Recent articles about fish
Overfishing may hurt Amazon forest trees
(2/5/2008) Overfishing is reducing the effectiveness of seed dispersal by fish in the Brazilian Pantanal, reports Nature. The research suggests that fishing practices can affect forest health.
Scientists find fish that literally lives in trees
(10/17/2007) Scientists have found a fish that literally lives in trees, according to research published in The American Naturalist and highlighted in New Scientist Magazine.
Piranhas originated when Amazon was flooded by seawater
(12/4/2007) South America's piranha family of fish -- notorious as eaters of flesh -- can be traced back to a single ancestor which dispersed when the Amazon was flooded by seawater some five million years ago, report researchers from the Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpement (IRD). Today piranhas are exclusively freshwater fish found from the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela to the Parana in Argentina.
|
|
|
