Fish
Licorice Gourami
Parosphromenus deissneri · also called licorice gouramis
Tucked inside a small shelter of leaf litter within a shrinking peat-swamp pool, a male licorice gourami stands guard over a clutch of eggs, one of the smallest and most habitat-restricted members of a family already known for specialised blackwater living.
Overview
The licorice gourami, Parosphromenus deissneri, is a tiny, intensely coloured labyrinth fish native to peat-swamp forest pools across Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, and Borneo in Southeast Asia. Its diminutive size, surprisingly vivid courtship colouration, cave-spawning breeding strategy, and severe dependence on a rapidly vanishing acidic wetland habitat make it one of the most conservation-relevant small fish found anywhere in the gourami family.
A tiny fish tied to a disappearing home
Unlike more adaptable gourami relatives that tolerate a range of still water conditions, the licorice gourami is restricted to small, shallow, acidic peat-swamp pools, leaving it with essentially nowhere else to go as this specialised habitat continues to shrink.
Status
Vulnerable, with the small, acidic peat-swamp pools it depends on across Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, and Borneo being drained, logged, and converted to agricultural land.
Licorice Gourami: common questions
Why is the licorice gourami considered threatened?
This species is restricted to small, shallow, acidic peat-swamp pools, a highly specialised and fast-disappearing habitat type across Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, and Borneo, with drainage, logging, and conversion to agricultural land placing significant pressure on its already limited range.
How does the licorice gourami breed?
This species typically spawns inside small cave-like shelters formed by leaf litter or plant debris, with the male guarding the eggs within the shelter until they hatch, a more secluded breeding strategy than the open floating bubble nests built by many larger gourami species.
Is the licorice gourami suitable for a beginner aquarium?
No, this species is considered one of the more demanding gouramis to keep in captivity, requiring very soft, acidic, tannin-stained water closely matching its natural swamp habitat, conditions that make it better suited to experienced specialist fishkeepers than to a first aquarium.
How big does the licorice gourami get?
This species is among the smallest members of the entire gourami family, rarely growing beyond a few centimetres in length even as a fully mature adult, considerably smaller than popular aquarium relatives such as the three-spot or pearl gourami.