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Encyclopedia / Gouramis & Bettas / Croaking gourami
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Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Croaking gourami

Trichopsis vittata · Croaking, Talking gourami, Three-lined croaking gourami

Peaceful with other small fish.

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7 cmBody length, without tail ✓
22–28 °CTemperature ✓
5–7.5pH ✓
54 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
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Not recommended
  • White cloud mountain minnow needs cool water and makes a lot of waste, while Croaking gourami is tropical.
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: exactly 22 °C.
Not recommended
  • Giant gourami eats animals up to about 10 cm. Croaking gourami only grows to 7 cm.
Not recommended
  • Oscar eats animals up to about 12 cm. Croaking gourami only grows to 7 cm.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow pH range suits both: exactly 7.5.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: exactly 22 °C.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

417 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓1–15 dGH
Group size ✓2 or more
Temperament ✓Peaceful
Swims at ?Middle
Care level ✓Easy
Diet Carnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 2.5–4 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Peaceful with other small fish. Males sparring may croak audibly and shorten each other's fins a little, but rarely cause damage.

Food

Small live and frozen foods such as daphnia, brine shrimp and microworms; may refuse dry food at first.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Males are larger than females and have extended rays in the pelvic, dorsal, anal and tail fins. Shining a strong light behind an adult shows the ovaries of females below the swim bladder.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Bubble-nester · Moderate

Bubblenester. The male builds his nest in floating plants, under an overhang or in a cavity. The pair need not be separated; the female is usually tolerated and may help guard the nest. Soft water and a slightly raised temperature are said to trigger spawning; keep the tank tightly covered.

Pairing

A bonded pair in a small, heavily planted tank.

Setup

20-30 L tank with large leaves or a plant cover, floating plants and soft acidic water, gentle sponge filter.

What starts it

Live food conditioning and a small cool water change.

Eggs

Typically up to about 200 eggs; they hatch within 48 hours and the fry stay in the nest 3-4 more days.

Raising the fry

Infusoria and then microworms and newly hatched brine shrimp; the male guards the eggs and fry.

Common mistakes
  • Fast flow
  • Feeding only dry food
  • Cold tank
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionSoutheast Asia – Thailand to Malaysia & Indonesia
HabitatWeedy ditches, ponds and rice fields
Native rangeAbout 2,000 km across
See it on the world map

The story of the croaking gourami

A small Southeast Asian gourami that croaks audibly by plucking modified pectoral-fin tendons like guitar strings. Both sexes make sounds, mainly in contests and courtship, and the female purrs to start spawning. Rivals use the sounds to settle disputes without much physical damage.

French naturalist Georges Cuvier described this small gourami in 1831. It is named for the croaking sounds it makes, which can be heard outside the aquarium.

First described by Georges Cuvier in 1831. Named for 'Vittata' means striped.

  • It makes sounds by snapping stretched tendons in its pectoral fins.
  • Both males and females can croak.
  • It can survive in oxygen-poor water by breathing air.

Sources

16 facts checked with sources