Sparkling or pygmy gourami (lat. Trichopsis pumila) is very seldom seen in home aquariums, especially if compared to other representatives of this kind. The fish is small, not very bright and even its Latin name says that it is small – pumila, which means a dwarf.
Aquarium fishes: Labyrinth fishes
Honey gourami (Trichogaster chuna)
Honey gourami (Trichogaster chuna, earlier called Colisa chuna) is a bright, colorful fish that is perfect for small nano tanks and it is very easy to keep. However, the fish is not as spread as its close relative dwarf gourami (Trichogaster lalius), but it quickly gains popularity among aquarists.
Opaline gourami (Trichopodus trichopterus)
Opaline gourami is a very beautiful color-morph of three spot gourami (Trichopodus trichopterus). All kinds of gourami belong to Anabantoidei suborder and they are also commonly called as – labyrinth fish.
They got this name first of all due to the additional respiratory organ they possess – it is so called “labyrinth organ”, which is located in epibranchial space and formed by the folds of membrane that covers the bone.
This thin tissue has lots of capillary vessels and as for its functions – it resembles lungs of land animals. If labyrinth fish have no access to atmospheric air, they get suffocated, because their gills don’t provide them with the necessary amount of air.
Dwarf gourami (Trichogaster lalius)
Dwarf gourami (lat. Trichogaster lalius, earlier referred as Colisa lalia) — is a kind of small Anabantoidei fish of Osphronemidae family. Although the fish is very attractive and quite peaceful, it’s rather demanding – care requires a lot more attention, than the one of other Anabantoidei fish kinds.