World Aquaculture March 2019

WWW.WA S.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • MARCH 2019 61 T he ornamental fish industry is considered to be a sleeping giant in India because the country is blessed with a rich biodiversity of freshwater ornamental fish and has a large availability of freshwater resources and suitabile agro- climatic conditions for captive breeding of many native ornamental fishes throughout the year. In India, the number of people keeping an aquarium either at home or work place has grown manifold during last two decades (Jain et al. 2016). Gouramis are a diverse group of freshwater perciform fishes in the family Osphronemidae. Currently, about 133 species are recognized, placed in four subfamilies and about 15 genera. They are widely distributed in tropical and sub-tropical areas, mainly in Asia and Africa. They are found in the ponds, tanks, streams and rivers of tropical areas. In India, most gouramis are found in the rivers, tanks and streams of north-east states and the Western Ghats. Many indigenous varieties are available in India (Table 1) and the species has high export potential. They are colorful and flamboyant (Figs. 1 and 2) and are attractive to hobbyists of all ages. There are many colorful exotic varieties (Table 2) that are available in different Recent Trends in Breeding and Trade of Ornamental Gourami in India Alok Kumar Jena, Pradyut Biswas and Sandeep Shankar Pattanaik farms located in the country and are in high demand in domestic markets. The fishes of this family grow to around 15 cm and have the remarkable ability to breath in two ways, through gills and by a cavity in the head called a labyrinth. This lung-like labyrinth organ allows gouramis to gulp air and use atmospheric oxygen. This organ plays a vital role in allowing gouramis to inhabit shallow, oxygen-poor water. Many gouramis have an elongated feeler-like ray at the front of each of their pelvic fins. Many species show parental care; the male prepares a bubble nest (Fig. 3) to hold eggs laid by a female and then provides further larval care. Gouramis are omnivorous, feeding on plants and animals such as some aquatic plants, weeds, algae, earthworms, insects and sometimes dead animals, detritus and debris. They prefer to feed on a wide variety of natural live food including brine shrimp, mosquito larvae and worms such as blood worm (Chironomids), sludge worm (Tubifex) and glass worm (Fig. 4). The nutritional requirements of gouramis varies with size, growth stage and ( C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 6 2 ) TABLE 1. List of gouramis indigenous to India. Common Name Scientific Name Rainbow gourami/banded gourami Colisa fasciatus Dwarf gourami/lily gourami Colisa lalia Honey gourami Colisa chuna TABLE 2. List of gouramis exotic to India. Common Name Scientific Name Blue gourami Trichogaster trichopterus Pearl gourami Trichogaster leeri Thick-lipped gourami Colisa labiosa Snakeskin gourami Trichogaster pectoralis Kissing gourami Helostoma temmicki Chocolate gourami Sphaerichthys osphronemoides Moonlight gourami Trichogaster microlepis Giant gourami Osphronemus goramy FIGURE 1. Banded gourami Colisa fasciatus juvenile. FIGURE 2. Blue gourami Trichogaster trichopterus (Left) and pearl gourami Trichogaster leeri (Right). FIGURE 3. Preparation of bubble nest by a male gourami.