Licorice Gourami

About

Parosphromenus sp. sentang is one of the so-called licorice gouramis, a group of miniature labyrinth fish from the blackwater swamps and slow streams of Southeast Asia. This particular fish is believed to come from the Sungai Sentang drainage in Jambi province, central Sumatra, near the border with South Sumatra. Like its close relatives, it closely resembles a couple of other Parosphromenus forms. Particularly P. bintan and the fish traded as P. sp. 'blue line'. Distinguished mainly by subtly narrower blue banding in the unpaired fins. Despite the beginner care rating, this is not a fish for a mixed community setup. Its needs, gentle disposition, and conservation concerns all point toward a dedicated species tank or one shared only with the smallest, most peaceful cyprinids like Boraras or Sundadanio. Mixing different Parosphromenus species together is a bad idea since females are nearly indistinguishable and hybridization is a real risk. Breeding is genuinely fascinating: males perform dramatic near-vertical, head-down courtship displays before tending eggs inside a small cave, while the female guards the perimeter. The labyrinth organ allows some atmospheric air breathing, though these fish surface less often than many of their relatives. A well-decorated, quiet tank suits them best.