kissing gourami
Helostoma temminckii · Helostomatidae · omnivore
Freshwater gourami from Asia, famous in the aquarium for its habit of touching other fish with its mouth. It is also farmed and eaten, and was introduced to Colombia.
Also called: gurami-beijador, gurami besador, kissing gourami
- maximum
- 30 cm
the right time
to be on the water
Choose the place and the species. The index, from 0 to 100, combines weather, sun, moon and tide with each fish's habits. Up to 28 days, with each day's confidence.
Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…
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hour by hour
slide your finger or mouse over the chart to see each hoursee hour-by-hour table
why this index at —?
choose the day
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.
the fishing month at a glance
what's the best window for the crew?
Choose how many fishing days. We compare each stretch by its average index, discount days with a warning or closed season, and show the 3 best.
trend for the coming weeks
Line: the middle value of 31 simulations of the American GEFS model. Band: where 8 out of 10 fall. Narrow, firm trend; wide, high uncertainty.
everything about the kissing gourami
who is the kissing gourami
Gourami of the family Helostomatidae, freshwater, reaching 30 cm, living in lakes and rivers with slow water and dense vegetation. It occurs in Asia, from Thailand to Indonesia. It breathes atmospheric air. It eats plants and animals, such as green algae, zooplankton and aquatic insects near the surface. It is farmed for food and sold widely for the aquarium. It can be caught on rod and line, although it is more common in commercial fishing. 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 kissing gourami.
fun facts
- Very popular among aquarists for its habit of touching other fish and objects with its mouth.
identification
The most striking trait is its thick, protruding lips, used to suck on and touch other fish, plants and objects, the habit that gives it its common name, kissing gourami. It breathes atmospheric air and lives in slow water with dense vegetation. To recognize it, look at the lips and the place: the species is from Asia and, outside it, only appears where it has been introduced.
where found
Native to Asia, from Thailand to Indonesia, and introduced to Colombia. Not recorded in Brazil.
Habitat: Lakes and rivers with slow water and dense vegetation.
rules for the kissing 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 usually eaten fresh, steamed, fried, grilled or baked, and also dried or salted.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01995, 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: Helostoma temminckii (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Helostoma temminckiiNames by country and language.
where each number comes from
The weather comes from three independent global models, cross-checked hour by hour: when they agree, confidence goes up; when they diverge, the band between them shows on the chart. Beyond 16 days, we use the GEFS ensemble of 31 simulations: if 20 of the 31 predict rain, the chance of rain is 65%. Sun and moon are calculated astronomically, with no uncertainty.
The index adds up, weighted for each species: time of day (species curve anchored to real sunrise and sunset), moon (transits, rise and set, phase), pressure (3 h trend and 24 h swing), water temperature (in rivers, estimated from air temperature; at sea, estimated by an ocean model), wind, rain, clouds, tide and the month in the species' cycle.
sources for this lookup
how accurate the forecast is
Accuracy measured in the reference project (4 regions, 93 days, forecast vs. observed): maximum temperature is off by 0.6 °C on average the next day and 1.7 °C at 7 days; rain of 5 mm or more is detected 76% of the time the next day and 57% at 7 days. Detection isn't everything: the false alarm rate isn't published here yet, and 93 days in 4 regions is still a small sample. We now also measure every day, at the app's destinations: