Giant Gourami questions, sources

[santoury]

How long have you seen these guys live?

Where do they all come from? I'm wondering if there is "ONE" country of origin, or if shipments come in from several areas in SE Asia?

Is there a piebald morph? That would be pretty sweet!

I am looking for the other species - O. exodon. Anyone?

 

[Cohazard]

My personal experience with these fish is very limited, because I still own juvies right now (2 Osphronemus laticlavius aka RTGG).

So I haven't personally raised one through it's entire lifespan yet, but I will keep my two around all their lives.

From various posts I've read around the net, I've read 10yrs, although I bet they could live double that.

There are four described species of Osphronemus:

gouramy, laticlavius, septemfasciatus, and exodon, with the latter two being very very rare, if at all ever kept by an aquarist (I don't think they have).

I see you are interested in O. exodon which is an interesting choice (It's very rare, I can't even find distinguishable pics on the net). From my research, this fish is said to have teeth as an adult!

Here's a nice link with plenty of info on O. exodon, including very interesting details about it's teeth: http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=26871


Osphronemus originate from Malaysia and Indonesia, where they are native and mostly farmed as food fish (Osphronemus gouramy)



A nice link with specific areas in which Osphronemus can be found:

http://filaman.ifm-geomar.de/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=25130


I have never seen or heard of a piebald morph, but there is a white colored giant gouramy, which is Leucistic I believe?

 

[santoury]

Hey Cohazard - I have two, the gray (Not sure if it's a rtgg or a goramy - it's only about 5 inches) The other is one of the white ones.
I'd love to find the septemfasciatus and exodon - and yup, you're right - uber rare! All the more fun to pursue them eh?
10 years... I'd think more, too. How big are yours?

 

[Cohazard]

Mine are currently about 7" with a good ammount of red on their fins, yet neither has pronounced red edging on their pectorals yet.


If yours are 5" and all grey, sounds like gouramy. Does it have black vertical bands? That would also make it gouramy.

RTGG can be identified by having a white/silver belly, with darker grey upper half. As well as a black spot at the lower half of it's body near the tail.

The base of the pectoral fins should also be black, which is very interesting.

You got it right though, the rare status of the other two makes me want some even more!

 

[12 Volt Man]

I had a pink one for 8 years, but they can live 25+ years.

mine got sick with TB, coughed up mucus all the time, got skinny over the course of 8 months and died

I spent a fortune on meds to try and save him.

He was in a 90 by himself, and was 20 inches long.

I have many fish in my fish room that are 9 years old and a striped rapheal that is 15 and still going.

So, I have no doubt that these guys could certainly live 25 years.