All Types of Gourami

Gouramis are a species of pet fish that can thrive even in oxygen-poor environments, as well as a wide variety of water conditions. Optimum conditions for a gourami depend on the species, but ideal temperatures typically range from 72 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit with pH from 5.5 to 7.5. Gouramis are semiaggressive, but they do well when kept with other fish of similar sizes and when their environment is enriched by plants and places to hide.

  1. Belontiidae

    • Most gourami belong to the Belontiidae family, which includes notable species such as the blue gourami, the pearl gourami, the golden gourami, the chocolate and the dwarf gourami. Most gourmi come in strong solid colors, or with dapples, strips or spots. Males are typically more colorful, and most are captive-bred species that cannot be found in the wild.

    Osphronemidae

    • The Osphronemidae family includes one notable gourami: the giant gourami. Ideal for and used primarily as a food fish, this species can quickly grow up to 28 inches in length. These gouramis are so large, however, that keeping them in an aquarium may put a significant strain on your filtration system, and weekly water changes are encouraged.

    Heolstomatidae

    • Gouramis from the family Heolstomatidae are also much larger than their Belontiidae cousins, often ranging from 7 to 8 inches at maturity. The most notable example is the Kissing Gourami, which is silver-pink in captivity and silver-green when wild-caught. Kissing gouramis are so named because of a mouth-to-mouth fighting behavior between members of the same species.

    Gourami Identification

    • As a rule of thumb, unless a gourami is larger than 6 inches, you can expect it belongs to the Belontiidae family. Be careful, however, as most pet fish retailers typically sell only young fish; in which case, what you're seeing is not the mature size of the species. Distinguishing marks on a fish, such as spots or stripes, as well as strongly apparent colors, will help you identify individual species because most gourami species are named after these characteristics.