Giant Gouramis originate from swamps, lakes and rivers in India, Thailand and Myanmar.  They are the largest of all gouramis.  They are known by the scientific name Osphronemus goramy, but another smaller species known by the scientific name Colisa fasciata is also called the Giant Gourami.  The latter is also called the  Banded Gourami, Rainbow Gourami, or Striped Gourami.  It is much smaller than Osphronemus goramy, being about 5 inches long, and is closer in resemblance to the Dwarf Gourami.

When young Giant Gouramis are golden with banding, as in the picture above.  At around 3 - 4 years of age they darken to grey or almost black and develop swelling of the forehead, known as a nuchal hump.  The anal fins are large and rounded and they have the distinctive elongated pelvic fins typical of gouramis.  The body is very narrow in width.  In Thailand, this species is caught as a sport fish.

Giant Gouramis can breathe moist air, so they can survive for extended periods out of water. They enjoy floating plants and plant cover.  A very large tank will be necessary due to the large size of this fish.  Many species typically compatible with other gouramis will be too small for a tank containing Giant Gouramis.

The dorsal fin on the male ends is more pointed and the coloring of the male becomes darker during spawning. The male has thicker lips during breeding and will build a bubblenest when ready to spawn.  For breeding, the water in the tank should be decreased in depth and the temperature should be at the upper end of their range. The female should be removed after spawning.  The eggs will hatch in 24 hours.  The fry should be fed infusoria and then brine shrimp.

Submitted by Bob Jones in the UK - I have one of these that is 27 years old at least and measures approx 28 inches plus, he lives with neons, siamese fighter, angels and various other small fish, he eats veg and will eat prawns but grapes are is favourite he is also a very intelligent fish, he will change colour to suit his mood and background.