Trichopodus leerii – Pearl Gourami
Trichopodus leerii was officially described in 1852 by Bleeker. The genus name can be broken into two parts. “Trichos” means “hair” or”ray”. “Gaster” means “belly”. This is a reference to the pectoral fins of which each fin consists of one long, hair-thin sprite. They use these to scan objects.
Their common name is Pearl Gourami. This species has small dots all over the flank. Just as if he is studded with all pearls.
Synonyms: Trichogaster leerii, Trichopus leerii.
Description
The Pearl Gourami can reach a length of about 12 centimeters. From the nose to the root of the tail runs a black row of dots that form a black stripe. All over the body and over the fins you can see small white dots, the diamonds that give this species its name. Like many gouramis, their pectoral fins consist of two wires that allow them to scan their surroundings.
The difference between males and females of Trichopodus leerii can be seen in a few characteristics. The male has an orange/red throat and the beginning of the belly, a longer dorsal and anal fin, and many “fringes” on its pelvic fin. The female does not have these fringes. The female is usually somewhat smaller and thicker.
In terms of character, these are very peaceful fish. They are ideal for a community aquarium. It is best not to combine them with overly busy or aggressive species.
Because they are relatively easy to breed, the supply in the stores consists mainly of offspring. For this species it is not directly necessary to capture specimens from the wild.
Biotope
The Pearl Gourami is native to Asia. They are found in Indonesia in Borneo and Sumatra, Malaysia and Thailand.
Usually they inhabit the marshy areas along the coast.
Diet
The Pearl Gourami is an omnivore, both small live food and frozen food, such as mosquito larvae, cyclops , artemia, feeding tablets and granules, also green food and dry food, so make sure there is plenty of variety.
The Aquarium
The Pearl Gourami requires an aquarium from 120 centimeters long. Furnish the aquarium with lots of plants. Also provide some floating plants under which they can hide.
Gouramis do not like currents in the water. A filter with a wide outlet where the flow of water disappears fairly quickly is appreciated. If they want to build a foam nest, it will be at the surface of the water. If the current is too strong then the bubbles won’t stay together.
Water parameters
Temperature: 24-28 degrees.
PH: 5.5-7.5
GH: 2-16
In nature, fish have to deal with fluctuating temperatures. Keeping fish at the minimum or maximum temperature for a long time is not always desirable and can shorten the average lifespan of the animals.
Breeding aquarium and conditioning
To breed the Pearl Gourami , it is best to use a breeding aquarium. Provide a water level of about 12 inches. Furnish the aquarium with plenty of floating plants. Preferably use a sponge filter or hamburger mat filter so that the young are not sucked up by the filter later. The flow should not be too strong because with a strong flow the foam nest falls apart.
The water may have a temperature of about 26 to 28 degrees Celsius.
Now place a male and female in the breeding aquarium. Condition them by feeding them well with high quality live food.
The spawn
When the female gains some weight and is full of eggs the Trichopodus leeri male builds a foam nest between the floating plants. This foam nest is quite large and can be up to 25 centimeters in diameter.
The male now approaches the female and shows her how beautiful he is. When she is ready to deposit the eggs they touch each other with their touch threads.
Under the foam nest, they embrace each other. During this embrace, the female releases a number of eggs. The eggs are immediately fertilized by the male. The eggs float and are suspended by the male in the foam nest.
Embracing and releasing the eggs is repeated over and over until all the eggs are released. This is about 200 to 300 eggs. Once the female stops releasing eggs she is chased away by the male.
Now remove the Pearl Gourami female and place her back in the normal aquarium. The male protects the nest from other fish, including the female. He can be fairly aggressive in doing so.
Raising the fry
The male takes care of the eggs. These hatch after about 20 to 30 hours. They remain in the nest even then. The male continues to maintain the foam nest until the young can swim freely about four to five days later . Now remove the male as well and place him back in the normal aquarium.
The young Pearl Gouramis are very small. The first week you can feed them with infusions (or Liquifry). You grow very slowly, only after a week you can switch to slightly larger food such as microworms and freshly hatched artemia.
Be sure not to overfeed. The tiny young Diamond Gouramis do not cope well with fluctuations in water quality, water values and temperature. Therefore, always change small amounts of water at a time. Only after about three months are they somewhat stronger and more resistant to fluctuations in water values.
Conclusion
The Pearl Gourami is truly an eye-catcher in a community aquarium. Their colors and shape are sure to attract attention. With proper decoration and little current, they inhabit the upper water layer and generally leave other fish alone. Just be careful not to combine them with overly crowded or aggressive species.
See also the breeding report Breeding with Trichopodus leerii
Video
Authors
Coby
John de Lange
Copyright images
John de Lange
