Chocolate gourami Chocolate gourami The chocolate gourami ("Sphaerichthys osphromenoides") is a species of gourami native to the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo. Chocolate gouramis reach a length of . These fish have a chocolate colour with golden bands running down their bodies. "Sphaerichthys selatanensis" has sometimes been treated as a subspecies of "S. osphromenoides". They are restricted to peat habitats. Unlike many other labyrinth fish, which breed by incubating their eggs in a bubble nest, this species is a mouthbrooder. Even more unusually, this species is a maternal mouthbrooder, with the female incubating the eggs in her mouth; all other anabantoid mouthbrooders
Pearl gourami finely ground flakes. Freeze-dried tablets may also be fed to older fry. The temperature needs to be high (about 84 °F) and with little or no water movement. Since they are air breathers, filtration is not necessary. The pearl gourami has a very unusual and beautiful mating dance. The male builds a nest of tiny, durable bubbles. The female takes a position under the nest and the male curves his body tightly around her, from underneath, as if holding her. Her body quivers while she expels a few eggs. Next he releases her and picks up the eggs in his