Burmese Chocolate Gourami

About

Sometimes traded as the Burmese chocolate gourami or mini chocolate gourami, Parasphaerichthys ocellatus is one of only two species in its genus, both hailing from small, muddy streams in Myanmar. It can be distinguished from its close relative by a noticeable ocellus-type spot on each flank, a larger body, and the absence of a dark mid-lateral stripe. Like all anabantoids it carries a labyrinth organ for breathing atmospheric air, though this species uses it less frequently than many of its relatives. Despite a beginner care rating, this fish presents some real challenges worth knowing about. It is slow-moving and retiring by nature, and will be easily bullied or outcompeted for food by anything boisterous, so tankmates need to be chosen thoughtfully. Small, peaceful cyprinids like Danionella or Microdevario tend to work well. While it does not school in a strict sense, it behaves more naturally and shows far more interesting activity when kept in groups of at least six. Captive breeding has been documented, with pairs depositing eggs inside bubble nests built under floating cover and displaying a dramatic black-and-white color pattern in the lead-up to spawning. This species is rare in the hobby, and anyone who acquires it should consider attempting reproduction a worthwhile goal.