Moonlight gourami (Trichogaster microlepis)

Scientific name: Trichogaster microlepis G?nther, 1861

The Moonlight gourami (Trichogaster microlepis) is a freshwater fish of the family Osphronemidae that grows to about 13 cm (5.1 in). It is easy to keep and aggressive, suits community aquariums and needs a tank of at least 110 L (29 US gal), water at 25–30°C (77–86°F) and a pH of 6.0–8.0. Native range: Asia, Cambodia and Viet Nam in the Mekong and Chao Phraya river basins.

Moonlight gourami care at a glance

Care level
Easy
Temperament
Aggressive
Community tank
Good
Adult size
13 cm (5.1 in)
Minimum tank
110 L (29 US gal)
Temperature
25–30°C (77–86°F)
pH
6.0–8.0
Hardness
2–25 dGH (36–446 ppm)
Diet
Omnivore. Accepts flakes, frozen foods and live foods.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 3 - 4. Body plain silvery.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Trichogaster microlepis
Family
Osphronemidae (Gouramies)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
13.0
Environment
Freshwater;; pH range: 6.0 - 7.0; dH range: 2 - 25 demersal
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Asia: originally occurring in the Mekong in Cambodia and Viet Nam and Chao Phraya basins. Introduced in the Mekong basin in Thailand and expected in Laos. A popular aquarium species which appeared in Colombia because of escapes from aquarium rearing facilities.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: highly commercial
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Fec=500-1000 egss)

More gouramis & bettas

See all gouramis & bettas

Can it live with...?

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Aquarium care parameters compiled, checked and converted to metric and imperial units by Guppies.za.net.

Last updated