Pearl gourami is also known as ‘lace gourami’. It is native to Asia especially Thailand and Indonesia and this was imported in Bangladesh from Thailand (Galib and Mohsin, 2010 and 2011). Life span is 3 to 4 years or longer (Fishlore, 2010).
Systematic position
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Order: Perciformes (Perches)
Family: Osphronemidae (Gouramies)
Genus: Trichogaster
Species: T. leeri
Synonyms
Trichopodus leeri (Bleeker, 1852)
Trichopus leerii Bleeker, 1852.
Morphology: Body elongated and laterally compressed. Highly attractive fish with a body color of turquoise suffered with a mosaic of pearly dots which extends in to fins and fives the impression of fine lace. Maximum length reported 13 cm by Galib and Mohsin (2011).
Food and feeding: Daphnia, Tubifex, small insects and commercial dried feeds (Akhter, 1995).
Breeding and sexing: Bubble nest builder. The male build a bubble nest and after fertilization of eggs, male also guard the nest. The eggs hatch within a day or two and the fry should be swimming about 5 days later (Fishlore, 2010).
The male develop a red breast and the male’s dorsal fin is longer than female. The red breast on the males become even more visible as it nears spawning mode (Galib and Mohsin, 2011).
Diseases: No disease was recorded or reported in Bangladesh by Galib and Mohsin (2011).
Economic importance: Used as ornamental fish in Bangladesh and retail price varied between BDT 50 and 200 per pair (Galib and Mohsin, 2011). May serve as larvivorous species (Shammi and Bhatnagar, 2002).
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REFERENCES
Akhter MS. 1995. Aquarium Guide (in Bengali), published by Echo Aqua Fisheries Project, 1/6 Pallabi, Mirpur, Dhaka, Bangladesh, pp. 51-71.
Bleeker P. 1852. Diagnostische beschrijvingen van nieuwe of weinig bekende vischsoorten van Sumatra. Tiental I-IV. Natuurkundig Tijdschrift voor Nederlandsch Indië, 3:569-608.
Fishlore. 2010. FishLore.com Tropical Fish Information, retrieved on January 01, 2010; http://www.fishlore.com/profile-pearlgourami.htm
Galib SM and Mohsin ABM. 2010. Exotic Ornamental Fishes of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Journal of Progressive Science and Technology, 8(2): 255-258.
Shammi QJ and Bhatnagar S. 2002. Applied Fisheries, Published by Agrobios (India), Agro House, Behind Nasrani Cinema, Chopasani Road, Jodhpur 342 002, India, 328 pp.
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