Kissing Gourami - How Sweet They are

• Scientific Name: Helostoma temminckii
  
• Family: Helostomatidae
  
• Origin: Java, Thailand
  
• Adult Size: 6-12 inches (15-30 cm)
  
• Social: Generally peaceful
  
• Lifespan: 5 years
  
• Tank Level: Top, Mid dweller
  
• Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallon
  
• Diet: Omnivore, eats most foods
  
• Breeding: Egglayer
  
• Care: Intermediate
  
• pH: 6.8 - 8.5
  
• Hardenss: 5 - 30 dGH
  
• Temperature: 72-82 F (22-28 C)

Description:

The popular Kissing Gourami, or ‘Kisser’, originates from Thailand, where it is cultivated as a food fish. These days virtually all specimens sold in the USA are commercially bred in Florida. Two colors of this fish occur naturally; a pink or flesh colored form, and a silver-green form often referred to as the Green Kisser.In the past these were believed to be the same species, but they have since been reclassified as two separate species. The green species, which has a dark bar bordering the dorsal and anal fins, is Helostoma temminckii, the name previously associated with the popular pink variety. The traditional pink Kissing Gourami is now classified as Helostoma rudolfi.Their common name is derived from what appears to be kissing; however scientists still aren’t sure of the true purpose of the behavior. It’s believed to be a harmless challenging behavior, which generally occurs between two males. This conjecture is supported by the fact that aging seems to diminish the need to challenge one other. With age comes wisdom, or at least the ability to peacefully cohabit with others.Both sexes of Kissing Gourami look almost identical; from their oval shape to their thick fleshy lips. What you can’t see are the rows of fine teeth on the inside surface of those lips, which are used to graze on algae and vegetable matter. Another unseen structure in these fish is the labyrinth organ, which is present in all labyrinth fishes.This organ enables them to take oxygen from the air, thus permitting them to survive in waters with low oxygen levels. In fact, the gills of labyrinth fishes are usually not capable of obtaining enough oxygen from the water to survive. Therefore, they must satisfy some of their oxygen requirement by gulping air at the surface of the water. That is why it is essential to provide them with access to the water surface.