giant gourami
Osphronemus goramy
Giant gourami from Asia, which breathes air and reaches 70 cm. It is widely farmed for food. In Colombia it was introduced and is exotic.
Also called: gurami-gigante, gurami gigante, giant gourami
- maximum
- 70 cm
who is the giant gourami
Fish of the family Osphronemidae, freshwater and slightly brackish, reaching 70 cm. It lives in swamps, lakes and rivers, among vegetation, and also in flooded forests. It must breathe air: it rises to the surface to breathe and can stay out of the water for long periods if the air is humid. It eats aquatic plants, fish, frogs, earthworms and even dead animals. It occurs in Asia, from Sumatra and Borneo to Thailand and the Mekong. It is farmed for food and widely traded. In Colombia it was introduced, where it is exotic.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the giant gourami; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- Adults build nests of plant fibers, not bubble nests like other gouramis.
identification
Gourami with a deep, laterally compressed body, a large anal fin with its edge parallel to the caudal fin, which is rounded. The pelvic fins have a long, thread-like filament. Young fish have dark vertical bars, but adults lose the bars and both sexes have dull colors. To tell it apart from the snakeskin gourami, remember that this one has oblique dark stripes and a dark band from the eye to the tail.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
Native to Asia, from Sumatra and Borneo to Thailand and the Mekong, and introduced to Colombia, where it is exotic. Not recorded in Brazil.
Habitat: Swamps, lakes and rivers with still water, among vegetation, and flooded forests.
rules for the giant gourami
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
Not dangerous to anglers. It should not be released in waters where it is exotic, such as in Colombia.
in the kitchen
It is eaten fresh, steamed, fried and baked.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01698, b = 3.01; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Osphronemus goramy (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Osphronemus goramyNames by country and language.
