Giant Gourami

The Giant Gourami (Osphronemus goramy) is a gourami, a freshwater fish belonging to the sub-family Osphroneminae in the family Osphronemidae. Some other larger members of this family are also occasionally or regionally referred to as "giant gouramis", including the banded gourami, Trichogaster fasciatus, and the three spot gourami, Trichopodus trichopterus. In turn the giant gourami is also sometimes known as the banded gourami, rainbow gourami, or striped gourami.

Giant Gourami build nests using weeds and twigs. Female Giant Gourami can be identified by their thicker lips. The Giant Gourami is native to parts of Indochina, Malaysia, Indonesia and India, but has been introduced elsewhere for the purpose of aquaculture.

It lives in fresh or brackish water, particularly slow-moving areas such as swamps, lakes and large rivers. It is capable of breathing moist air, so can survive out of water for long periods. It is much larger than most gouramis, growing to a maximum length of 70 cm (28 inches). In colour it is a pale to golden yellow, with silvery pale blue stripes running vertically along its body.

Partly in consequence of its size, the Giant Gourami is a significant food fish; in some parts of India, for example, it is dried and then eaten. In its native regions it has been harvested as a customary food source. The species has also been used for weed control as they can be voracious herbivores.