1 kinds · tap one for a closer look
Peaceful centrepiece fish.
328 species in our list are a good match.
Peaceful centrepiece fish.
Flakes, pellets, frozen foods.
Tap a food to see what it is.
Mature males are more colourful, with an orange-red throat and breast that brightens when breeding, and longer fins with a pointed dorsal. Females are plainer and plumper.
Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.
Bubble-nester · Moderate
Bubble-nester; the male builds and guards the nest. Males can be rough with the female during breeding, so give plenty of cover and remove her after spawning.
Buy 6 young fish and let them pair up. Condition with live foods before spawning.
A 20-30 gallon (75-110 L) planted tank, 27-28 C, lots of floating plants and a lid. Keep the water soft and slightly acidic.
Warm water, floating plants, rich food and a settled pair.
200-300 eggs per spawning; they hatch in about 20-30 hours and fry swim freely 4-5 days later.
Feed infusoria and then baby brine shrimp. Remove the female after spawning and the male when fry swim free. Keep a lid on to keep the air warm.
Named after Lt-Col. J. M. van Leer, who collected the first specimen at Palembang, Sumatra; described by Bleeker in 1852. One of the most peaceful gouramis. Wild populations are listed as Near Threatened; almost all aquarium fish are mass-produced in the Far East and Eastern Europe.
Pieter Bleeker described the pearl gourami in 1852. Its lace-like pearly pattern and the male's orange breast made it a classic aquarium fish. Almost all specimens sold are captive-bred.
First described by Pieter Bleeker in 1852.
17 facts checked with sources
Described by Bleeker, 1852. Still widely sold and labelled under the old name Trichogaster leerii (Seriously Fish's own photo captions use it).
FishBase: Trichopodus leerii summary · Wikipedia: Pearl gourami (cites Catalog of Fishes)Legacy has no family field; sourced value recorded.
FishBase: Trichopodus leerii summaryFishBase gives 12 cm TL (total length); Seriously Fish gives 12 cm SL, which would make the fish slightly longer overall.
FishBase: Trichopodus leerii summary · Seriously Fish: Trichopodus leeriiLegacy range equals FishBase and sits inside Seriously Fish's 24-30.
Seriously Fish: Trichopodus leerii · FishBase: Trichopodus leerii summaryInside both ranges.
Seriously Fish: Trichopodus leerii · FishBase: Trichopodus leerii summaryLegacy has no hardness; Seriously Fish range recorded. FishBase is narrower (5-19).
Seriously Fish: Trichopodus leerii · FishBase: Trichopodus leerii summary90 x 30 cm base x 30 cm height = 81 L (Seriously Fish lists ~81 L). Legacy 120 L is more generous than the source minimum, not wrong for a group.
Seriously Fish: Trichopodus leeriiNo source gives a group size. Seriously Fish warns that males fight each other and can be rough with females when breeding, so plenty of cover is needed with more than one.
Seriously Fish: Trichopodus leeriiSeriously Fish supports up to 8 years and says it can be more; the upper bound could be shown as '8+'. No lifespan on FishBase.
Seriously Fish: Trichopodus leeriiNo source names a swimming level.
FishBase: Trichopodus leerii summaryLegacy has no range field. IUCN status per FishBase: 'Near Threatened (NT) (A3c); Date assessed: 21 January 2019'.
FishBase: Trichopodus leerii summary · Seriously Fish: Trichopodus leeriiPointed dorsal and longer fins in males are from Wikipedia citing Sanford (1999).
Seriously Fish: Trichopodus leerii · Wikipedia: Pearl gourami (cites Sanford 1999, Aquarium Owner's Guide)Seriously Fish (aquarium spawns) gives 200-300 eggs and hatching in about 20-30 hours. A wild-fish study found ovary fecundity of about 1,324-1,590 eggs per female, which is total eggs carried, not eggs per spawn; legacy 300-1000 per spawn is not supported.
Seriously Fish: Trichopodus leerii · Putriani 2013, Comparative Study of Reproductive Biology of Trichogaster leeri, Universitas RiauLegacy claim verified; added name origin, IUCN status and trade source.
Seriously Fish: Trichopodus leerii · Wikipedia: Pearl gourami (cites ETYFish Project and Catalog of Fishes) · FishBase: Trichopodus leerii summary