Licorice Gourami

About

Found only in the Sungai Pawan drainage of Indonesian Borneo, Parosphromenus quindecim is one of roughly twenty recognized members of the licorice gourami group, small blackwater specialists that inhabit forest swamps and their associated streams across parts of Southeast Asia. Adults barely reach an inch and a half at most, and males can be identified by their rounded caudal fin, the presence of a dark subdistal band on the unpaired fins, and the absence of the bold blotches seen on the lower body stripes of related species. Like all labyrinth fishes, this species carries a modified gill structure that allows it to take in atmospheric oxygen, though licorice gouramis do so less conspicuously than many of their relatives. It is considered a relatively approachable entry point into the genus for keepers new to Parosphromenus, though the word "beginner" here means beginner within this demanding group rather than a recommendation for a general community tank. Mixing different Parosphromenus species together is a bad idea given how difficult females are to tell apart and the real risk of hybridization. Breeding involves cave spawning with elaborate horizontal fin-display courtship from the male, who then tends the eggs alone while the female guards the surrounding territory. A well-planted, species-focused setup gives this fish its best chance.