
The giant gourami (Osphronemus goramy) is a species of large labyrinth fish native to freshwater habitats in Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Malay Peninsula. They are commercially important as food fish and are farmed and sold in the aquarium trade. Giant gouramis are capable of breathing moist air, allowing them to survive out of water for extended periods. They can grow up to 70 cm (28 inches) in length, with most individuals reaching around 45 cm (18 inches). These fish are known for their ability to control highly invasive aquatic plants due to their herbivorous diet. They play a significant role in Southeast Asian cuisine, where they are valued for their thick flesh, pleasant texture, and tasty flavour.
What You'll Learn
Habitat and distribution
The giant gourami is native to Southeast Asia, where it can be found in rivers, streams, marshes, swamps, and lakes. More specifically, the species is native to the lower Mekong of Cambodia and Vietnam, the Chao Phraya and Mae Klong of Thailand, river basins in the Malay Peninsula, Sarawak in Malaysia, and Java, Sumatra, and Western Kalimantan in Indonesia.
The exact limits of the natural range of the giant gourami are uncertain due to confusion with other Osphronemus species and the widespread release of the fish outside its native habitat. For instance, both the giant gourami and the elephant ear gourami have been reported in the middle Mekong, and the presence of giant gouramis in Borneo is possibly the result of introductions.
The giant gourami has also been introduced to other parts of Asia, including southern China, India, and Sri Lanka, and other continents such as Australia, Mauritius, Réunion, and Madagascar. This expansion of their range is partly due to their value as a food fish. They are also popular in public aquariums because of their size and ease of care.
In the wild, giant gouramis inhabit lowland medium to large rivers, as well as lakes, and they enter flooded forests during the wet season. They can also be found in the stagnant water of swamps and marshlands, as well as in canals with sluggish-moving water. Their habitats are heavily vegetated, and they are opportunistic feeders that consume both plant and animal matter.
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Diet
Giant gourami are omnivores, and their diet varies depending on their environment. In the wild, they are opportunistic feeders, consuming both plant and animal matter. Their diet includes aquatic weeds, fish, crustaceans, frogs, earthworms, and sometimes even dead animals. They are voracious eaters and can be considered herbivores, as they prefer algae-based foods but will also eat meaty foods.
In captivity, giant gourami are not picky eaters and will generally eat all kinds of food. They can be fed a variety of foods, including high-quality flake or pelleted food, cooked meat, bread, boiled potatoes, and other vegetables. It is important to note that beef heart or other meat from mammals should only be fed rarely, as they cannot properly digest these foods. Brine shrimp (live or frozen) or bloodworms can be given as treats.
When kept as aquarium fish, it is recommended to start training them to accept dried foods at an early age, as mainly feeding them live fish would result in high food costs. They can be fed once or twice a day.
In Thailand, where they are farmed as a food source and called "let", giant gourami are deep-fried in garlic and pepper or served with a sweet chilli sauce.
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Breeding and reproduction
The giant gourami is an egg-layer and builds a bubble nest from plant fibres. Both male and female gourami participate in building nests, though the male appears to play a more prominent role. The male and female are distinguished by the dorsal fins and body colour. The dorsal fin on the male ends in a point, and the body is darker, changing to nearly black during spawning.
In the wild, the male will build a ball-shaped nest out of bits of plants just below the surface of the water. They vary in size but are usually about 40 cm wide and 30 cm deep. A circular entrance, about 10 cm across, always points towards where the water is deepest. The nests are mostly constructed in April and May, though spawning takes place throughout the year. The male will take 8 to 10 days to construct his nest, anchoring it to reed stems at between 15-25 cm below the water surface.
The spawn will result in about 1,500 to 3,000 eggs being released. Their eggs, as well as the fry, are lighter than water and float to the top. The male will gather the eggs in his mouth and place them in his nest. The eggs hatch in about 24 hours in a dark aquarium and the male will guard them until they hatch, which can take about 14 days.
When breeding in captivity, the water in the tank should be decreased to about 20 cm deep and the temperature should be 28 °C. After spawning, the female should be removed to a separate tank as the male will jealously guard the eggs and can become aggressive towards the female.
Breeding giant gourami in captivity is challenging because they require a very large breeding tank. However, they reach maturity and are able to breed at about 6 months of age, at a length of about 12 cm.
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Uses
The giant gourami is a species of large gourami native to freshwater habitats in Southeast Asia. It has a variety of uses, including:
Food
The giant gourami is commercially important as a food fish and is farmed in several countries, including Thailand, where they are deep-fried in garlic and pepper or served with a sweet chilli sauce. They are also a customary food source in their native regions, including Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Gourami is highly valued in Southeast Asian cuisine due to its thick flesh, pleasant texture and tasty flavour. They are also easy to consume as they do not have fine bones within their flesh. The flesh is also rich in protein and minerals.
Weed control
The giant gourami is used for weed control of highly invasive aquatic plants as they are voracious herbivores.
Fishing
Giant gourami are fished in Thailand, where they are native. They are fragile when they are big (over 10lbs), so it is recommended to take a quick picture and then put them back in the water.
Aquariums
The giant gourami is also popular in public aquariums due to its size and ease of care. They are also sold in smaller sizes in pet stores. They are not a difficult fish to keep, but because of their size, they will need a very large aquarium. They are generally kept by more experienced aquarists.
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Appearance
The giant gourami (Osphronemus goramy) is a large, powerful fish native to freshwater habitats in Southeast Asia. It is the largest of all labyrinth fishes and can grow to a maximum standard length of 70 cm (28 in), though most only reach around 45 cm (18 in). In their natural environment, natives have reported lengths of almost 2 feet (60 cm).
In their juvenile form, giant gourami have a pointed snout, a flat head, and an attractive banded coloration. They have stripes of silvery blue/grey to black on a cream to golden/yellow background. As they mature, they lose their stripes and their colouring becomes plainer, generally with a brownish-black or even pinkish to white hue.
As adults, giant gourami develop a swollen forehead, particularly the males, along with thick lips and a thick chin. The females tend to have thicker lips than the males, while the males have more pointed dorsal and anal fins. The forehead of the male tends to be larger than that of the female. The mature male also develops a distinct 'nuchal hump'—a swollen knob or lump on the forehead.
The giant gourami is laterally compressed with a deep-bodied oval shape and a blunt head. They are believed to have originated in Java, Sumatra, Borneo, and other islands in the Malay Archipelago, but their range is now much greater, and they have been introduced to several countries for aquaculture purposes.
The giant gourami is a hardy fish that can tolerate a wide variety of water conditions, including slightly brackish water. They are opportunistic feeders and will consume both plant and animal matter. In the wild, their diet consists of aquatic weeds, fish, crustaceans, frogs, earthworms, and sometimes even dead animals.
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Frequently asked questions
The giant gourami (Osphronemus goramy) is a species of large gourami native to freshwater habitats in Southeast Asia.
The giant gourami is pale to golden yellow with pale blue stripes, or dull pink with grey stripes. They have a swollen forehead (especially the males), thick lips (more pronounced on females), and a thick chin.
Giant gourami are believed to be vegetarians, eating fruit, water plants, nuts, vegetables, insects, shrimp, maize, and bread. However, they will also eat meaty foods such as crustaceans and molluscs.
Giant gourami are native to Southeast Asian countries including Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Java, Sumatra, Borneo, and other islands in the Malay Archipelago.
In their natural environment, giant gourami can grow to almost 2 feet (60 cm) in length. In captivity, they rarely grow over 16 inches (40 cm).