Leeri Gourami

COMMON NAMES: Lace, Pearl, Mosaic or Leeri Gourami

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Trichogaster leers.

DESIGNATION: Tropical.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: Borneo, Malaysia, Sumatra, Thailand.

SIZE: Around 11 cm (c. 4.5 in).

WATER PREFERENCES: Not critical. Temperature: 23-28°C (73.5-82°F) – even slightly higher for spawning.

DIET: All foods.

BREEDING: This is a typical bubble nester which can be a bit temperamental: an apparently ideal pair can occasionally refuse to spawn.

DESCRIPTION: This elegant species is more timid than T. trichopterus when not in breeding condition and is therefore, a safer candidate for a community tank.

Other species of this genus having similar requirements (besides T. trichoopterus) are T. microlepis, the Thin-lipped or Moonlight Gourami (15 cm/c/ 6 in) and T. pectoralis, the Snakeskin Gourami (25 cmm/c/ 10 in.)

Leeri Gourami Information

• Leero Gourami or the pearl gourami is one of the most attractive fish popular among aquarists. The fish can also be easily bred and reared as it can tolerate temperature extremes to a great extent.
• The fish just like other species of the giuramis have a oblong and an elongated shaped body with a flattened belly laterally. The ventral fins are quite long and thin and appear to be like feelers. The fish has a small sized up turn mouth.
• The pearl gourami is so named because of the presence of pear or brown flecks on the surface of the water. Apart from the pearl flecks a line runs through out the body from the mouth to the tail.
• In wild the fish resides in a dense vegetation region. So, you are recommended to keep the aquarium well planted so that the fish feels to be at home. The tank in which the fish should be kept should have good number of floating plants along with dim illumination and a dark substrate.
• The fish can adapt well with various water types but it prefers to truve well in slightly soft acidic water. Since the fish can adapt well with varied temperature and chemical conditions and have a very peaceful nature it is ideally to be kept a community water tank.
• The fish also accepts any proper food for fish. The fish may survive on live, frozen and dried food items. Good quality flakes are ideal for the fish. You may also feed the fish with vegetative matters like the lettuce, cooked peas, spinach and such. In the live foods category you may look out for brine shrimp, black worms, glass worms and such. These worms would be ideal while breeding the fish.
• The sex of the fish can be easily identified. The male fish has a longer and pointed dorsal fin and have a dark orange red pigmentation on the throat and the breast regions. During the spawning season the female fish would have a plump body.