Moonlight gourami
Encyclopedia
Trichopodus microlepis (formally Trichogaster microlepis), the moonlight gourami or moonbeam gourami, is a labyrinth fish of the family
Osphronemidae. This peaceful, attractive species is a popular aquarium
fish.
and Vietnam
and Chao Phraya
basins. This species has been introduced into the Mekong basin in Thailand
. It has also been introduced
into Colombia
due to escaping from aquarium rearing facilities.
This species is found in ponds and swamps. It occurs in shallow, sluggish, or standing water habitats with a lot of aquatic vegetation. It is also common in the floodplain of the lower Mekong.
.
These fish are silvery colored with a slightly greenish hue similar to the soft glow of moonlight. The moonlight gourami’s concavely sloped head distinguishes it from other gourami
varieties. The males can be identified by the orange to red coloration of the pelvic fins, as well as the long dorsal fins which ends in a point. In females, the pelvic fins are colorless to yellow, and the dorsal fins are shorter and rounder. During spawning, in males, the orange thread-like ventral fins will intensify and become red.
s, crustacean
s, and zooplankton
.
Like all labyrinth fish, the moonlight gourami has a special lung-like organ that allows it to breathe air directly. Because of this labyrinth organ, it is not unusual to see it go to the surface and gulp air. The ability to breathe air allows the Moonlight Gourami to survive in very low oxygen situations. In fact, if it remains moist it can actually survive out of water for up to several hours.
As with other labyrinth fish, these species are oviparous and employ bubble nest
s in reproduction and care of fry. The male moonlight gourami begins the spawning process by carefully preparing a bubble nest; this bubble nest tends not to incorporate much plant matter and the bubbles may float around freely. It will then begin to court the female under it by performing a "courtship dance" behavior. Spawning culminates when the male finally wraps itself around the female. While in this embrace, the male turns the female on to her back triggering the female to release her eggs. Up to 2000 eggs may be laid during spawning. The male will fertilize the eggs as they float up to the prepared bubble nest. In the safety of the bubble nest the eggs will incubate for about two to three days before finally hatching.
level for the gourami is 6.0–7.0 with the water hardness at 2–25 dGH
and the temperature kept between 26–30°C (79–86°F).
It thrives in a heavily planted aquarium. Preferable vegetation are the sturdy Java fern and Vallisneria
. The moonlight gourami are social and peaceful fish that are suitable for community tank
s. However, large specimens, particularly males, may attack others of the same or closely related species. On the other hand, the moonlight gourami could be a shy and timid fish that regularly hides behind vegetation and gets bullied by more aggressive tank mates. The moonlight gourami is also a top or middle tank-level dweller. Minimum tank size requirement is 20 gallons.
The moonlight gourami will accept flakes
, frozen and live foods. However, in the case of community tanks, other large, fast fish can scare the moonlight gourami away from food as the timid gourami does not compete well for its meal even if starving.
, plenty of floating plants to assist in bubble nest
building, as well as feeding of live foods to the breeding pair will increase the chances for successful reproduction. After spawning, the aquarists often provide the female a thicket of fine-leaved plants to hide if the male becomes aggressive; however, the moonlight gourami will not harm the female as other species of labyrinth fish might.
Once the eggs hatch, the fry must be fed very fine foods several times daily. The fry are tiny and delicate for the first few weeks of their lives. Most losses of fry are due to the lack of adequate food or low water temperature. Live foods such as daphnia
, artemia and rotifer
s are ideal. However, very finely chopped lettuce, banana skins, and finely ground flake food can also be used to feed the young. The water temperature in the low to middle 80 degrees Fahrenheit are ideal while the fry are growing.
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Osphronemidae. This peaceful, attractive species is a popular aquarium
Aquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
fish.
Distribution and habitat
The moonlight gourami is native to the Mekong River in CambodiaCambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
and Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
and Chao Phraya
Chao Phraya River
The Chao Phraya is a major river in Thailand, with its low alluvial plain forming the centre of the country. It runs through Bangkok, the capital city, and then empties into the Gulf of Thailand.-Etymology:...
basins. This species has been introduced into the Mekong basin in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. It has also been introduced
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
into Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
due to escaping from aquarium rearing facilities.
This species is found in ponds and swamps. It occurs in shallow, sluggish, or standing water habitats with a lot of aquatic vegetation. It is also common in the floodplain of the lower Mekong.
Appearance and anatomy
An adult moonlight gourami reaches a length of to up 13 centimetres (5 in) SLFish measurement
Fish measurement refers to the measuring of the length of individual fish and of various parts of their anatomy. These data are used in many areas of ichthyology, including taxonomy and fisheries biology.-Overall length:...
.
These fish are silvery colored with a slightly greenish hue similar to the soft glow of moonlight. The moonlight gourami’s concavely sloped head distinguishes it from other gourami
Gourami
Gouramis are a family, Osphronemidae, of freshwater perciform fishes. The fish are native to Asia, from Pakistan and India to the Malay Archipelago and north-easterly towards Korea. The name "gourami" is also used for fish of the families Helostomatidae and Anabantidae. "Gouramis" is an example of...
varieties. The males can be identified by the orange to red coloration of the pelvic fins, as well as the long dorsal fins which ends in a point. In females, the pelvic fins are colorless to yellow, and the dorsal fins are shorter and rounder. During spawning, in males, the orange thread-like ventral fins will intensify and become red.
Ecology
The moonlight gourami eats insectInsect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s, crustacean
Crustacean
Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
s, and zooplankton
Zooplankton
Zooplankton are heterotrophic plankton. Plankton are organisms drifting in oceans, seas, and bodies of fresh water. The word "zooplankton" is derived from the Greek zoon , meaning "animal", and , meaning "wanderer" or "drifter"...
.
Like all labyrinth fish, the moonlight gourami has a special lung-like organ that allows it to breathe air directly. Because of this labyrinth organ, it is not unusual to see it go to the surface and gulp air. The ability to breathe air allows the Moonlight Gourami to survive in very low oxygen situations. In fact, if it remains moist it can actually survive out of water for up to several hours.
As with other labyrinth fish, these species are oviparous and employ bubble nest
Bubble nest
Bubblenests, also spelled bubble nests or bubble-nests, created by some fish species, are floating masses of bubbles blown with an oral secretion, saliva bubbles, and occasionally aquatic plants, or an area for egg deposit attached at the bottom. Fish that build and guard bubble nests are known as...
s in reproduction and care of fry. The male moonlight gourami begins the spawning process by carefully preparing a bubble nest; this bubble nest tends not to incorporate much plant matter and the bubbles may float around freely. It will then begin to court the female under it by performing a "courtship dance" behavior. Spawning culminates when the male finally wraps itself around the female. While in this embrace, the male turns the female on to her back triggering the female to release her eggs. Up to 2000 eggs may be laid during spawning. The male will fertilize the eggs as they float up to the prepared bubble nest. In the safety of the bubble nest the eggs will incubate for about two to three days before finally hatching.
In the aquarium
Although undemanding about water conditions and requires only intermediate care, it thrives best in soft acidic water. Because it is so tolerant of less than perfect water, it is often recommended for a beginner in the fishkeeping hobby. However, as in most other fishes, regular water change will help maintain the health of the moonlight gourami. Ideal pHPH
In chemistry, pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Pure water is said to be neutral, with a pH close to 7.0 at . Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline...
level for the gourami is 6.0–7.0 with the water hardness at 2–25 dGH
DGH
Degrees of general hardness is a unit of water hardness, specifically of general hardness.General hardness is a measure of the concentration of metal divalent ions such as calcium and magnesium per volume of water...
and the temperature kept between 26–30°C (79–86°F).
It thrives in a heavily planted aquarium. Preferable vegetation are the sturdy Java fern and Vallisneria
Vallisneria
Vallisneria is a genus of freshwater aquatic plant, commonly called eelgrass, tape grass or vallis. The genus has 6-10 species that are widely distributed, but do not grow in colder regions....
. The moonlight gourami are social and peaceful fish that are suitable for community tank
Community tank
Community aquaria are tanks that are designed to contain more than one species of fish. Most commonly they include a variety of species that do not normally occur together in nature, for example angelfish from Brazil, swordtails from Mexico, and gouramis from South East Asia...
s. However, large specimens, particularly males, may attack others of the same or closely related species. On the other hand, the moonlight gourami could be a shy and timid fish that regularly hides behind vegetation and gets bullied by more aggressive tank mates. The moonlight gourami is also a top or middle tank-level dweller. Minimum tank size requirement is 20 gallons.
The moonlight gourami will accept flakes
Fish food
Aquarium fish feed is plant or animal material intended for consumption by pet fish kept in aquariums or ponds. Fish foods normally contain macro nutrients, trace elements and vitamins necessary to keep captive fish in good health. Approximately 80% of fishkeeping hobbyists feed their fish...
, frozen and live foods. However, in the case of community tanks, other large, fast fish can scare the moonlight gourami away from food as the timid gourami does not compete well for its meal even if starving.
Breeding
Breeding of this fish is easy. The moonlight gourami should be provided with a separate breeding tank because other fish consider eggs and small babies (fry) as food. An ideal breeding tank has very soft water that has been reduced to a depth of about six inches; floating plants can also be present to give the fish a feeling of security. The pH should be slightly acidic and the temperature should be raised to at least 80°F over a period of several days to trigger spawning. Dark gravelGravel
Gravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to boulder-sized fragments. Gravel can be sub-categorized into granule and cobble...
, plenty of floating plants to assist in bubble nest
Bubble nest
Bubblenests, also spelled bubble nests or bubble-nests, created by some fish species, are floating masses of bubbles blown with an oral secretion, saliva bubbles, and occasionally aquatic plants, or an area for egg deposit attached at the bottom. Fish that build and guard bubble nests are known as...
building, as well as feeding of live foods to the breeding pair will increase the chances for successful reproduction. After spawning, the aquarists often provide the female a thicket of fine-leaved plants to hide if the male becomes aggressive; however, the moonlight gourami will not harm the female as other species of labyrinth fish might.
Once the eggs hatch, the fry must be fed very fine foods several times daily. The fry are tiny and delicate for the first few weeks of their lives. Most losses of fry are due to the lack of adequate food or low water temperature. Live foods such as daphnia
Daphnia
Daphnia are small, planktonic crustaceans, between 0.2 and 5 mm in length. Daphnia are members of the order Cladocera, and are one of the several small aquatic crustaceans commonly called water fleas because of their saltatory swimming style...
, artemia and rotifer
Rotifer
The rotifers make up a phylum of microscopic and near-microscopic pseudocoelomate animals. They were first described by Rev. John Harris in 1696, and other forms were described by Anton van Leeuwenhoek in 1703...
s are ideal. However, very finely chopped lettuce, banana skins, and finely ground flake food can also be used to feed the young. The water temperature in the low to middle 80 degrees Fahrenheit are ideal while the fry are growing.