Marble Kissing Gourami

Their fins are usually light green.

Marble kissing gourami.

This name was given to the fish because they make natural mouth movements during courtship games during aggression as well as during feeding. They stand in front of each other and swim slowly for some period of time and then for a short time their mouths meet. The kissing gourami is capable of growing up to 30cm 12 in length. Like all the osphromenids the blue gouramis have a labyrinth organ which serves to breathe air allowing them to live in muddy and little oxygenated waters.

Today virtually all specimens sold in the united states are commercially bred in florida. The kissing gourami can get quite large often 10 12 inches in length. Kissing gourami is especially liked by aquarists. Kissing gourami helostoma temminkii these fish get their name because of their kissing behavior but it s still not known why they display this behavior.

The fish comes in two colorations. Its colored in a light bluish tone that s topped with a darker marble like patterning and thus it is also known as the marbled gourami. The cultivated varieties lack such points and they are the marble gurami light blue with a darker variegation and the golden one. Kissing balloon mutations have also been produced as well helostoma.

The kissing gourami gets its name from the way it will kiss other gouramis and other fish in your tank. This gourami is one of many varieties of the three spot gourami. So why was this kind named as kissing gourami. Among the representatives of this subspecies there are fish of yellow pink as well as a greenish hue.

Helostoma temminckii marble metallic paradise gourami lrg. Helostoma temminckii marble marble kissing gourami reg. It is commonly cultivated in the southern indochina region as a food fish. The kissing motion is also a method of grazing on algae from objects.

Trichogaster microlepis moonlight gourami med. The wild brown greenish coloration and the ornamental pinkish pearl coloration. The popular kissing gourami commonly called a kisser originates from the indonesian island of java and is also found in borneo cambodia malaysia thailand and vietnam. Macropodus opercularis moonlight gourami lrg.

They are practically the only fish capable of freeing an aquarium of hydra. They can grow up to 12 inches in size so they need a large aquarium minimum 75 gallons. Kissing gourami helostoma temminckii isn t a very bright colored fish but it has a very interesting behavior. The kissing gourami has been a popular fish for many years mainly due to its kissing motion produced by the mouth.

They are not kissing but they are in fact acting aggressive and having a showdown. The pattern is dynamic and variable making this pretty fish an appealing addition to a community aquarium. The kissing motion when carried out between two fish is actually a fighting motion where the weaker fish should give in.