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Kissing Gourami

Pink Kisser Family: Helostomatidae

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Helostoma temminkii Photo © Animal-World: Courtesy David Brough

   The Kissing Gourami is one of the most popular gouramis. Everyone who gets interested in gouramis eventually gets a Kissing Gourami because of their unusual "kissing" action!

   When the Kissing Gouramis look like they "kiss" each other, the action is thought to be some form of social testing of strength or status. The Kissing Gourami is actually named for the unusual shape of its mouth when eating or sucking debris. These fish use their lips and teeth to rasp algae from the surface of rocks or from the glass in the aquarium. The Kissing Gourami comes in two color forms, grayish-green and pink. The pink form is a mutation that is propagated in captivity and the one that is most readily available to the aquarist.

   The Kissing Gourami are quite hardy and have a great appetite. But these are relatively large fish and require as large a tank as possible. If they get overcrowded their growth can become stunted. In their native environment Kissing Gourami can get up to 30 cm (12 inches), though in the aquarium they usually reach only 12 - 15 cm (5 - 6 inches). Though they are generally considered community fish they can become bullies to smaller fish. They do best with other large companions.

For more Information on keeping this fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Freshwater Aquarium

Distribution:
   The Kissing Gourami was first described by Cuvier in 1829 and named after a Dutch doctor, Temminck. They are found in the tropical Far East; Thailand, Indonesia, Sumatra, Borneo, Java, Malay Peninsula, and Cambodia where they inhabit slow waters, primarily ponds and marshes with dense vegetation. In their native countries they are used a food.

Status:
   The Kissing Gourami are not endangered.

Description:
  The Kissing Gourami is a flat fish with a round but elongated body. The ventral fins are threadlike and extremely sensitive. This fish has a labyrinth organ, a part of the fish which allows it to absorb atmospheric oxygen directly into the bloodstream. They gulp water at the surface to insure adequate oxygen intake, so must have access to plenty of surface area.
   These fish come in two color forms, grayish-green and pink. The wild form is a gray to green color with horizontal stripes and dark fins. The other form is pinkish to orangish pink with transparent fins. The pink form is a mutation that is propagated in captivity, and is the one that is primarily available to the aquarist. It is not clear if this mutation occurs in the wild.
  The most distinctive characteristic of this fish is its mouth. The mouth has lips that are thick and fleshy with fine teeth on the inner surface. The name 'Kissing" was actually derived from the action of its mouth where it uses it lips and teeth to rasp algae from the surface of rocks or from the glass in the aquarium.

Size - Weight:
   Five to six inches (12 - 15 cm) is a good length for the Kissing Gourami to reach in the aquarium. In the wild they have been known to reach up to 30 cm (12 inches).

Care and feeding:
   Since they are omnivores, the Kissing Gourami will generally eat all kinds of live, fresh, and flake foods. A quality flake or pellet food makes a good base to the diet but it is important to supplement this with meaty foods. Supplementation can include white worms, blood worms, brine shrimp, or any other suitable substitute. Fresh vegetables or vegetable tablets can be offered as well.
   Kissing Gouramis are extremely hardy fish. Although the labyrinth organ allows the fish to survive in oxygen depleted water, it is a common misconception that this makes water changes unnecessary. This is hardly the case, as these fish will suffer the same tissue damage from built up toxins as any other fish. Regular water changes are a must with 25% weekly being recommended.
   They need a good size tank. While juveniles can be housed in a 15 - 20 gallon aquarium, adults will need at least 30 gallons or more. Plants are not necessary but are appreciated. Keep in mind that they are a natural part of their diet and they have been known to snack on them. Artificial plants can make a handy substitute if you experience this with your fish.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
   The Kissing Gouramis primarily inhabits the top and middle areas of the aquarium.

Acceptable Water Conditions:
   This fish will be bothered by a strong current in the tank, especially if the tank is small. It is also desirable to keep the tank in a room with a temperature as close as possible to the tank water, or risk damaging the labyrinth organ.
   Temperature: 72 - 82° F (22 - 28° C)
   Hardness: 5 - 35° dGH
   Ph: 6.0 - 8.8

Social Behaviors:
      The Kissing Gourami is generally considered a good community fish when small, but they are not as peaceful as adults. They have been known to attack smaller fish. When they get older only keep them with fish their own size. Individuals will show varying degrees of aggression. Some will be very belligerent and will handle their tank mates quite roughly.
   A mix of large neutral personalities is an ideal goal for the range of tank mates. You should not include fish which will provoke this species into aggression as they are often passionate fighters. Fin nippers and gouramis should absolutely never be mixed, as the trailing pelvic fins and generally slower movement of this fish make it the perfect victim. Bullying between gouramis is a likely scenario as these fish, typical of the family, are fixated on constantly working out the details of the hierarchy. The Kissing Gourami is also a skilled hunter and extremely small fish or fish fry rarely last long.

Sexual Differences:
   There are no visible differences.

Breeding/Reproduction:
   Unlike most of the labyrinth fish, the Kissing Gouramis are not bubble nest builders. Their eggs as well as the fry are lighter than water and float to the top. Once they have spawned, the eggs float to the top and are forgotten.

Buy Kissing Gourami From LiveAquaria.com

See the description of how to breed these fish in Breeding Freshwater Fish. Most books on the subject say this fish is harder to breed than most other gouramis.

Availability:
   The Kissing Gourami is readily available and will cost about $3.00 - $6.00 USD.

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Latest Comments
I have a large male opaline gourami, about 5 inches long now. He's very peaceful with all his tankmates, even smaller fish, but will not allow another gourami in the tank. I've tried males and females of different gourami types as well as other opalines. He chases them relentlessly from the minute they go in. Lovely fish but he's decided I can only have one! Chris English 2009-05-31
I have recently bought 2 kissing gourami's, and just before 2 blue ones, which are doing fine. One of the blue gourami's is very big and I found some eggs under my pump, but they didn't last long. I have also gotten 10 young fry from my molly's which are all swimming around the tank with the other fish and that take no notice of the others. Even at feeding they share the food. Gemma 2009-03-29
My fiance and I just recently purchased a pair of kissing gouramis. They started off kissing fairly often and then rubbing on each other, and now one of them has been staying right in this corner and it looks like there's an egg sack under her or something, but I don't know anything about their babies... Beth and Bob 2009-03-11
I have 8 kissing gouramis and they just recently had babies. I moved the baby fry to a separate tank and it's funny to see 2 of the adult gouramis hover over the area where the baby fry "were", as if looking for them. They are also scaring off all the other fish in the tank if they come close to the area the babies were. The two adults have also started kissing now that I've moved the babies. I'm not sure if this is a problem or not. I'd like to find out how long the babies need to stay separate from the other fish. crystal 2008-02-28
I had a kissing gourami for about two months, however the day that I bought the fish, it stopped kissing! I contacted the people at the local fish store that I received the fish from and they said that kissing gouramis kissing, is actually a bad thing! I do not know what to believe, but I do not believe them. This fish is now dead, and I do not know how it died. But while I had it the only problem I encountered was that it ate my plants. It was once standing 15 inches, but only standing 7 inches when i removed the fish. Andy 2008-02-13
Some of the coolest comments:
These fish are really pretty and they are easy to mantain,but you might want to kep a good eye on them when you have baby fish[fry]. Savannah Wells 2003-10-06

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Author: David Brough. CFS.