Trichopodus trichopterus (Pallas 1770)

Other Names: Blue Gourami, Cosby gourami, Gold gourami, Opaline gourami, Three Spot Gourami

Cite this page as:

DIanne J. Bray, Trichopodus trichopterus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 24 Jan 2025, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/4843

Trichopodus trichopterus (Pallas 1770)

More Info

Distribution

Native to the Mekong Basin, South-east Asia - recorded from Laos, China, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar and Indonesia.

Feral populations have also been established in eleven countries due to ornamental fish being released into the wild.

The Blue Sumatran morph has been introduced into Australia and was first reported in 1998 from a sugar-cane irrigation channel and subsequently from freshwater lagoons associated with Sheep Station Creek the lower reaches of the Burdekin River (19°52'S, 147°15'E), and was subsequently recorded from the Barattas system adjacent to Sheep Station Creek. It has also has been recorded from the Aplin Weir, Ross River (19°18'S, 146°47'E), near Townsville.

Also known from artificial reservoirs, on Saibai Island in the Torres Strait.

Able to tolerate a wide range of ecological conditions and habitats, including freshwater, peaty and black waters, polluted to brackish waters – commonly inhabits swamps, rice paddies, road-side ditches, pools and ponds – stagnant or semi-stagnant waters less than 2 m in depth, with soft bottoms and emergent and floating vegetation.

Author

DIanne J. Bray

Trichopodus trichopterus (Pallas 1770)

References

Britz, R. 2004. Why Colisa has become Trichogaster and Trichogaster is now Trichopodus. AAGB Labyrinth 136: 8–9.

Corfield, J., Diggles, B., Jubb, C., McDowall, R.M., Moore, A., Richards, A. & Rowe, D.K. 2008. Review of the impacts of introduced ornamental fish species that have established wild populations in Australia. Prepared for the Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. 277 pp.

Pallas, P.S. 1770. Spicilegia Zoologica, quibus novae imprimus et obscurae animalium species iconibus, descriptionibus atque commentariis illustrantur. Berlin Tom. 1 Fasc. 8 54 pp. 5 pls.

Roberts, T.R. (1992): Systematic revision of the Southeast Asian anabantoid fish genus Osphronemus, with descriptions of two new species. Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters 2: 351–360.

TOn the type species of Trichopodus (Teleostei: Perciformes: Osphronemidae).Vertebrate Zoology 59(1): 49-51.