Trichogaster
Encyclopedia
Trichopodus is a genus of tropical freshwater
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...

 labyrinth fish of the 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...

 family found in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...

. Gouramis of the Trichopodus genus are closely related to those of Trichogaster
Trichogaster
Trichopodus is a genus of tropical freshwater labyrinth fish of the gourami family found in Southeast Asia. Gouramis of the Trichopodus genus are closely related to those of Trichogaster , species of both genera have long, thread-like pelvic fins used to sense the environment...

(formally Colisa), species of both genera have long, thread-like pelvic fins (known as "feelers" in the aquarium trade) used to sense the environment. However, Trichopodus species have shorter dorsal fin base and, when sexually mature, are much larger, with the largest, the snakeskin gourami
Snakeskin gourami
Trichopodus pectoralis, also known as snakeskin gourami and Siamese gourami is a species of gourami that is important both as a food fish and as an aquarium fish.-Physical characteristics:...

 (T. pectoralis), capable of reaching a length of over 8 inches.

Along with the Trichogaster
Trichogaster
Trichopodus is a genus of tropical freshwater labyrinth fish of the gourami family found in Southeast Asia. Gouramis of the Trichopodus genus are closely related to those of Trichogaster , species of both genera have long, thread-like pelvic fins used to sense the environment...

species, Trichopodus gouramis are popular in the aquarium trade. The three spot gourami
Three spot gourami
The three spot gourami, Trichopodus trichopterus, is a labyrinth fish. The natural coloration of this fish gets its name from the two spots along each side of its body in line with the eye, considered the third spot. Marketed fresh or salted and pickled, they are also popular in the fishkeeping...

 (T. trichopterus), with its several aquarium variants, each known by a different trade name, is perhaps the most common aquarium gourami. Trichopodus species are also used as food fish in its native range. The snakeskin gourami
Snakeskin gourami
Trichopodus pectoralis, also known as snakeskin gourami and Siamese gourami is a species of gourami that is important both as a food fish and as an aquarium fish.-Physical characteristics:...

, in particular, is one of the top five aquacultured freshwater fish 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...

.

Species

Catalog of Fishes, FishBase
FishBase
FishBase is a comprehensive database of information about fish species . It is the largest and most extensively accessed online database on adult finfish on the web...

 and ITIS
Integrated Taxonomic Information System
The Integrated Taxonomic Information System is a partnership designed to provide consistent and reliable information on the taxonomy of biological species. ITIS was originally formed in 1996 as an interagency group within the U.S...

 list the following four species under this genus.
  • Trichopodus cantoris
    Trichopodus cantoris
    Trichopodus cantoris is a labyrinth fish of the gourami family.- Physical description :The two black spots are united by a longitudinal zigzag band running from the mouth through the eye to the caudal fin. The caudal is white-spotted. The height of the body is two-fifths or three-sevenths of the...

    (Günther 1861)
  • Trichopodus leerii (Bleeker
    Pieter Bleeker
    Pieter Bleeker was a Dutch medical doctor and ichthyologist, famous for his work on the fishes of East Asia – Atlas Ichthyologique des Orientales Neerlandaises – which was published 1862–1877....

    , 1852); Pearl gourami
    Pearl gourami
    Trichopodus leerii, the pearl gourami or lace gourami, sometimes also known as the "leerii" and formally Trichogaster leerii, is a tropical labyrinth fish that is often kept in aquaria.-Distribution and habitat:...

  • Trichopodus microlepis (Günther, 1861); Moonlight gourami
    Moonlight gourami
    Trichopodus microlepis , the moonlight gourami or moonbeam gourami, is a labyrinth fish of the family Osphronemidae. This peaceful, attractive species is a popular aquarium fish....

  • Trichopodus pectoralis (Regan, 1910); Snakeskin gourami
    Snakeskin gourami
    Trichopodus pectoralis, also known as snakeskin gourami and Siamese gourami is a species of gourami that is important both as a food fish and as an aquarium fish.-Physical characteristics:...

  • Trichopodus trichopterus (Pallas, 1770); Three spot gourami
    Three spot gourami
    The three spot gourami, Trichopodus trichopterus, is a labyrinth fish. The natural coloration of this fish gets its name from the two spots along each side of its body in line with the eye, considered the third spot. Marketed fresh or salted and pickled, they are also popular in the fishkeeping...

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