snakeskin gourami
Trichopodus pectoralis
Small freshwater gourami from Asia, which eats aquatic plants and is farmed for food and the aquarium. It has been introduced to Colombia.
Also called: gurami-pele-de-cobra, gurami piel de serpiente, snakeskin gourami
- maximum
- 25 cm
- record/max.
- 0.5 kg
who is the snakeskin gourami
Gourami of the family Osphronemidae, freshwater, reaching 25 cm and weighing up to 500 g. It lives in shallow, still waters with dense vegetation, in the flooded plains of the Mekong and Chao Phraya rivers, and returns to the rivers when the waters fall. It eats mostly aquatic plants. It breathes air directly and also absorbs oxygen from the water through its gills. Its flesh is of good quality, and it is farmed for food and for export as an aquarium fish. It has been introduced to Colombia and, in at least one country, has had an ecological impact.
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 snakeskin gourami; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- The male builds a bubble nest at the surface and guards the eggs until they hatch; both parents care for the young.
identification
Deep-bodied, laterally compressed gourami with oblique dark bands along the body, which are not always well marked. It has an irregular black band running from the eye to the base of the caudal fin. The dorsal fin has short spines and long soft rays, the caudal fin is slightly notched, and the first soft ray of the pelvic fins forms a filament that reaches the base of the tail. To tell it apart from the giant gourami, look at the oblique bands and the black band from the eye to the tail, which are absent in adult giant gouramis.
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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, in the Mekong and Chao Phraya basins, and introduced to Colombia. Not recorded in Brazil.
Habitat: Shallow, still waters with dense vegetation, and flooded forests.
rules for the snakeskin 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.
It has a filament on the pelvic fins, but it is not dangerous. As it has had an ecological impact in at least one country, do not release it in waters where it does not occur.
in the kitchen
The flesh is of good quality: it can be grilled or used in soups, and the fish is sold fresh.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01318, b = 3.06; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). 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: Trichopodus pectoralis (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Trichopodus pectoralisNames by country and language.
