Kissing gourami (Helostoma temminkii)

Scientific name: Helostoma temminkii Cuvier, 1829

The Kissing gourami (Helostoma temminkii) is a freshwater fish of the family Helostomatidae. In the aquarium it needs water at 22–28°C (72–82°F). Native range: Asia, Thailand to Indonesia.

Kissing gourami care at a glance

Temperature
22–28°C (72–82°F)

Biology

Occurs in lakes and rivers. Prefers slow-moving water with thick vegetation. Feeds on a variety of plants and animals, including green algae and zooplankton as well as aquatic insects near the water surface. Utilized fresh for steaming, pan-frying, broiling and baking; also processed as dried or salted fish; ripe ovaries are collected and separately eaten. Large quantities of small fish are exported for aquarium use in Japan, Europe, North America, Australia and other parts of the world. Very popular with aquarists due to its habit of sucking its lips and kissing other fishes, plants and other objects. Aquarium keeping: not recommended for home aquariums; minimum aquarium size 150 cm.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Helostoma temminkii
Family
Helostomatidae (Kissing gourami)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
30.0
Depth range
2 m (7 ft)
Environment
Freshwater;; pH range: 6.0 - 8.0; dH range: 5 - 19 benthopelagic; potamodromous; depth range 2 - ? m
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Asia: Thailand to Indonesia.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: highly commercial; aquaculture: commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: highly commercial
Resilience
High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Assuming tm

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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