The largest representative of the gouramies, the giant gourami, is native to freshwater systems in Southeast Asia - primarily Indonesia. This fish has been introduced to China, India, the Philippines, and Ceylon as well though.

HABITS:

The giant gourami is an interesting piscine found most commonly in large bodies of water. They feed primarily on invertebrates such as white ants, grasshoppers, worms, and soft vegetation. They can generally be found inhabiting well-vegetated areas where floating plants are plentiful. They prefer water temperatures between 24 and 28C.

SPAWNING:

Like most labyrinth fishes, O. goramy is a bubble nester – although not to the same extreme as its counterparts. In ponds ripe males will construct a conical bubble nest strengthen with grass and weeds about 30cm below the water surface. It may be appropriate to mention that these nests are not true bubble nests. Rather, this fish uses bubbles and mucous to hold the vegetative components together. Females lay several thousand buoyant eggs, containing oil droplets, which are then fertilized by the male. Eggs hatch approximately 30-36 hours post-fertilization and fry begin feeding exogenously on the microorganisms associated with the decaying nest 5days post-hatch. In culture ponds female spawners are stocked at 1/100 to every 150m² of water surface. Males are stocked at a ratio of 2:3 and 4 to 8 year-old fish are preferred as broodstock even though sexual maturity may be reached as young as 1 ½ years. Before spawning, broodstock fish are conditioned in ponds 50cm deep on a diet of soft plants, fruit, and rice bran. Eggs are occasionally hatched in jars that are left to float in the pond to maximize the available spawning area for fresh spawners. Basically after eggs are fertilized in the nests, the culturists remove them and transfer them to jar that are then placed in the shade or place back in the pond. Oil from the eggs must first be removed with exchanges of fresh pond water. Breeding occurs during the dry season in these areas although hormone induction has been investigated to spawn them off-season.

GROWTH:

As the common name of O. goramy suggests, it is the largest representative of the gouramies. Water temperature for maximum growth is 24-28C at which young fish can attain a length of 30cm in 2 years. Maximum length for this specie is 60cm.

USES:

The giant gourami is highly desired for its quality flesh in the Southeastern Asian counties. Some of these fish are sold on the tropical as well and are enjoyed in the home aquarium by hobbyists.

CULTURE:

Culture of this fish is quite common in the Asian countries and Europe. Propagation is rather simple and is done primarily in ponds. Supplemental feeding is usually distributed for the fry stages and while conditioning broodstock. A variety of live invertebrates are delivered to fry pond (white ants are preferred) and rice, peanut bran, and fresh fruit is fed while conditioning.

REFERENCES:

Avault, J.W. 1996. Fundamentals of Aquaculture. AVA Publising Company Inc., Baton Rouge, Lousiana.

Bardach, J.E, J. H. Ryther, and W.O. McLarney. 1972. Aquaculture The farming and husbandry of freshwater and marine organisms. John Wiley and Sons, New York.

Nelson, J.S. 1994. Fishes of the World. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York.