Snakeskin gourami Snakeskin gourami The snakeskin gourami ("Trichopodus pectoralis") (" കൈതക്കോര ") is a species of gourami native to Southeast Asia. The name Trichopodus comes from the Ancient Greek words θρίξ ("thríx") which means hair and πούς ("poús") which means foot while "pectoralis" comes from the Latin words "pectus" which means "chest" and "ālis" which means "of or pertaining to", refers to the large pectoral fins of the species. The snakeskin gourami is an elongated, moderately compressed fish with a small dorsal fin. Its anal fin is nearly the length of the body and the pelvic fins are long and thread-like. The
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