Moonlight gourami Moonlight gourami The moonlight gourami ("Trichopodus microlepis"), also known as the moonbeam gourami, is a labyrinth fish of the family Osphronemidae native to Indochina. This peaceful, attractive species is a popular aquarium fish. An adult moonlight gourami reaches a length of to up SL. These fish are silvery colored with a slightly greenish hue similar to the soft glow of moonlight. The moonlight gourami's concavely sloped head distinguishes it from other gourami varieties. The males can be identified by the orange to red coloration of the pelvic fins, as well as the long dorsal fins which ends in a point.
Kissing gourami do not guard, are spherical, smooth, and buoyant. Initial development is rapid: the eggs hatch after one day, and the fry are free-swimming two days thereafter. The kissing gourami does not care for its young. The kissing gourami present a kind of behavior associated with their characteristic jaw and mouth: two individuals approach their mouths in both mediolateral and dorsoventral planes and press for a few seconds. This type of "kiss" has given "H. temminkii" the common name of kissing gourami has been considered an intraspecific aggressive behavior also known as "mouth fight" due to the contraction of the jaw