Paradisefish

📖 Overview

Obligate air-breathing ; Adults inhabit any kind of lowland habitats from heterogeneous structured margins or backwaters of large rivers to small streams and irrigation channels on farmland . Can colonize stagnant water bodies with very low oxygen content (air breather). Found in streams, paddy fields and ditches . Feed on small aquatic animals including small fish. First ornamental fish to be brought to Europe (France 1869, Germany 1876) after the goldfish . Males will fight each other . Aquarium keeping: minimum aquarium size 80 cm .

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 11 - 17; Dorsal soft rays (total): 5 - 10; Anal spines: 7 - 22; Anal soft rays: 9 - 15; Vertebrae: 27 - 29. Caudal fin forked, both lobes elongate in males , with filamentous extension in each lobe ; lower margin of preorbital sharply serrated ; conspicuous dark brown opercular spot with whitish posterior margin (margin red in life); body with 7-11 bold, dark bars on pale yellowish background in preserved specimens (blue bars on reddish background in life); dark stripe crossing eye connecting opercular spot with eye; top of head and predorsal body with dark spots; posterior tip or margin of scales on body not darker than scales .: short and / or deep; Cross section: compressed.

🌀 Behaviour

Paradise fish are fairly combative, harassing and attacking each other, as well as potentially assaulting and killing small fish. During a fight, the paradise fish will often change its color, usually displaying dark blue lateral lines on the sides of their bodies; extend its fins; and spread out its operculum. Paradise fish are more likely to show aggressive behavior towards other paradise fish than to fish of a different species. Acts of aggression tend to increase as the distance to the fish's home in Asia increases. In the wild, they are predators, eating insects, invertebrates, and fish fry. The popularity of this species has waned in recent decades as much more colorful (and often less abusive) species of gouramis have become widely available to hobbyists. This species is one of the few fish that can change its color (lighter or darker) in response to stimuli. It also appears that paradise fish are capable of learning through a type of restrictive process. Most forms of active teaching seem to hinder the paradise fish's ability to learn the movements of its owner via careful observation.

🦐 Diet

Diet information for Paradisefish is currently being compiled.

🥚 Reproduction

The species is a bubble-nest builder; the male swims to the surface, draws a little air into his mouth and envelops it in a film of saliva thereby forming bubbles; upon building the nest, the male drives the female towards it; female spawns then male follows; male picks up the fertilized eggs in his mouth and pushes one by one into each bubble of the nest; male guards eggs until hatching . Produces up to 500 eggs .

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Freshwater; brackish; pelagic; pH range: 6.0 - 8.0; dH range: 5 - 19. Tropical; 16°C - 26°C ; 30°N - 20°N, 102°E - 122°E north Viet Nam; introduced to the tropical and subtropical world (Ref.

🌿 Ecology

📐 Morphometrics

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

Scientific Synonyms

🐠 Related Species

🔍 Similar Species

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) — 50 records indexed .

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