Pygmy Gourami

In the right light, its eyes appear bright blue, and its arrowhead-shaped body and caudal fins reflect a rainbow of colors as it swims.

Pygmy gourami (Trichopsis pumila) is a tropical freshwater fish belonging to the Trichopsis genus in the family (Osphronemidae). It is native to Southeast Asia, and is found in Thailand, Laos, Peninsular Malaysia, and Indonesia. This fish was originally named Ctenops pumilus by J.P. Arnold in 1936. It is also referred to with a variety of common names, including sparkling gourami, purring gourami, dwarf croaking gourami, and green croaking gourami. The word "pumilus" means "small", or "dwarf", and is pronounced POO-mil-us.

Pygmy Gourami grow no larger than 4 cm long, sparkle with red, green, and blue hues, and can produce an audible croaking noise. Its native habitat is slow rivers, rice paddies, ditches and small ponds. It is most commonly found in standing not stagnant water (including waters with low oxygen levels) that has a dense cover of floating plants. Its native habitat has a pH of 6.0 - 7.5, dH of 5 - 19, and temperature 25°C to 28°C (77°F to 83°F). It feeds on zooplankton and aquatic insects. Sexing is difficult, but males have red spots above the "body line" or the stripe through their body, and females spots are duller.

Breed By Raising The Temperature

The pygmy gourami has commercial importance in the aquarium hobby trade. Pygmy gourami  is hardy and tolerant of less-than-ideal water conditions in the tank. It is important to avoid any strong currents in the aquarium and need plenty of hiding places; a heavily planted tank with subdued lighting would be ideal. They require some space between the top of the water and the tank cover from which to gulp air. Preferred water conditions include a temperature of 25°C (76°F) or above, and a pH of less than 7.

Pygmy gouramis can be induced to breed by raising the temperature and dropping the water level about 15 cm (6 inches). During mating, the male embraces the female, with their bodies intertwining tightly. The female deposits the eggs and both the male and female will collect the eggs in their mouths and deposit them into a bubble nest created earlier by the male. Other tankmates should ideally be removed at this point, since the male vigorously guards the eggs and may attack other fish.