Chocolaty gourami , or spherichites ( lat. Sphaerichthys ) - a genus of labyrinth fish from the family of macropods ( Osphronemidae ). There are 4 species living in Southeast Asia. One species is chocolate gourami ( Sphaerichthys osphromenoides ), a common aquarium fish .
| Chocolate Gourami |
Chocolate Gourami ( Sphaerichthys osphromenoides ) |
| Scientific classification |
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| No rank : | Bilateral symmetrical |
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| International scientific name |
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Sphaerichthys Canestrini , 1860 |
| Kinds |
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- Sphaerichthys acrostoma Vierke, 1979
- Sphaerichthys osphromenoides Canestrini, 1860
- Sphaerichthys selatanensis Vierke, 1979
- Sphaerichthys vaillanti Pellegrin, 1930
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- Sphaerichthys acrostoma Vierke , 1979 - bronze gourami, south of Kalimantan [1] ;
- Sphaerichthys osphromenoides Canestrini , 1860 - chocolate gourami, Sumatra , Kalimantan , Malacca Peninsula [2] ;
- Sphaerichthys selatanensis Vierke , 1979 - cross chocolate gourami, south of Kalimantan [3] ;
- Sphaerichthys vaillanti Pellegrin , 1930 - Weylant gourami, Kalimantan [4] .
In nature they live in calm streams, ponds and ditches with dense aquatic and coastal vegetation. They live in warm water with low hardness (0.5-5 dGH ) and acid reaction .
They reach a length of 5-7 cm. The body is moderately elongated, slightly high, flattened laterally. Dorsal fin and anal fin long, short. Pelvic fins with filiform elongated first ray. The color is not bright, brown shades - from bronze, chocolate-brown to pale red-brown.
Either they build a small, fragile afro-nest, or lay eggs on the bottom. The caviar is yellowish, quite large (diameter 1.2-1.5 mm), heavier than water. A female or male takes eggs into his mouth. Productivity is up to 100 eggs, usually no more than 40 are placed in the mouth. The fry come out on 13-14 days. Fry 5-6 mm long, dark and clearly visible. They hold and feed among plants at the surface.
Spherichthys are quite difficult to maintain, susceptible to bacterial infections and skin parasites. Water parameters play an important role. Not recommended for beginners. It is recommended to use bright colors in the design of the aquarium to compensate for the dim coloring of these gourami.
- large, low (water level up to 20 cm) aquarium with a stable regime
- indoor aquarium, warm air above the aquarium
- low light
- floating plants, thickets of shade-loving plants at the bottom
- peat extract and frequent water changes are desirable
- water parameters differ slightly for different species of spherichthys
- water temperature 24-30 Β° C for different types of fish
- water hardness from 3 to 10 dGH
- acidic reaction of water pH 5-7 (attention, many fish cannot live in such acidic water)
- the content of salts (nitrogen, phosphoric) is minimal
- live feed
