Chocolate gouramis are very beautiful, but demanding anabantoids. Thus they should be kept by experienced aquarists only. There are three genera of chocolate gourami, Sphaerichthys (four species), Parasphaerichthys (two species) and Ctenops (monotypical). The only species in Ctenops is nobilis, the Noble gourami from India. It represents the largest of all chocolate gouramis and can reach 8-10 cm total length. The species is a mouthbreeder, the male is the brood caring part. Against conspecifics the Noble gourami is – like all chocolate gouramis – very aggressive during breeding season. The fish lives in subtropical regions and needs an imitation of the seasons (hot and dry summers, cool and rainy monsoon seasons) to stay healthy under aquarium conditions. On the other hand the species is undemanding regarding water chemistry. Syntopical species are for example zebra barbs (Danio rerio), rosy barbs (Barbus conchonius) or dwarf gouramis (Colisa lalia). Fish that do not belong to their own species are ignored by Noble gouramis as well as plants are. As Ctenops nobilis stays very shy in a single species tank it makes sense to combine it with other, peaceful fish like the ones named above.
For our customers: the fish have code 412802 on our stocklist. Please note that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade.
Lexicon: Ctenops: ancient Greek, means “comb-eye”; this refers to an anatomical structure. Nobilis: Latin, means “noble”. Sphaerichthys: ancient Greek, means “conglobate fish”. Parasphaerichthys: ancient Greek, means “beside Sphaerichthys”, referring to a presumed relationsship to Sphaerichthys.
Common name: Noble gourami
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
| Angaben zum Tier | |
|---|---|
| Herkunft | Indien / India |
| Verfügbare Größe in cm | 4-5 |
