Mini Chocolate Gourami

About

Found in southern Myanmar, this obscure little anabantoid, Parasphaerichthys lineatus, turns up in the trade occasionally under the names 'mini chocolate gourami' or 'Burmese chocolate gourami', and is sometimes confused with its only known congener, P. ocellatus. You can tell the two apart fairly easily: lineatus is noticeably smaller and carries a dark mid-lateral stripe rather than the side-spot that defines ocellatus. Like all labyrinth fishes it possesses the accessory breathing organ that allows it to take in atmospheric air, though it does so less frequently than many relatives. At under an inch when fully grown, this is a genuinely tiny fish, and its gentle, somewhat retiring personality means tankmate selection matters a lot. Larger or pushy fish will easily stress it out or monopolize food, so stick with equally small, peaceful companions like Danionella, Microdevario, or diminutive loaches. It does better in groups of at least six, where social interaction brings out more natural behavior. Breeding is where things get really interesting: courtship is variable depending on group size, spawning locations shift unpredictably between bubble nests and substrate depressions, and males temporarily turn bright orange with a blackish head while producing an audible croaking sound. Parental care is inconsistent even within the same pair. This species is rare in the hobby, so anyone keeping it should seriously consider attempting a breeding project.