Cherry Chocolate Gourami

About

Found in the blackwater streams and peat swamps of South Borneo, Sphaerichthys selatanensis is a tiny, chocolate-brown gourami occasionally sold under the name cherry chocolate gourami. It closely resembles its relative S. osphromenoides but can be told apart by a distinctive light vertical bar on each flank and a slightly larger eye, along with lower fin-ray counts. Like all labyrinth fish it can breathe atmospheric air directly, an adaptation well-suited to the oxygen-poor, acidic waters of its home swamps. In the aquarium this species does best in soft, warm, acidic water with plenty of cover and calm tankmates. Boisterous or fast-moving fish will stress it and outcompete it for food. Danionella, Microdevario, Trigonostigma, and small Pangio loaches all work well as companions. Keep a group of at least six, as individuals show more natural behavior in company and develop clear social hierarchies. One of the genuinely interesting things about this species is its breeding strategy: the female broods the eggs in her mouth, which is unusual among anabantoids where maternal mouthbrooding is otherwise unknown. Spawning pairs take on vivid color changes during courtship, and females carry eggs for up to three weeks before releasing fully formed, free-swimming fry.