Edit Parosphromenus ornaticauda

You can suggest changes to this profile. A moderator will review each change.

Name

Scientific name

Parosphromenus ornaticauda

Described by

Authority Kottelat, Year 1991

Family

Osphronemidae

Common names

Not recorded

Photograph credits

All 4 credited

Summary

Parosphromenus ornaticauda is a liquorice gourami from West Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo, in the Kapuas drainage near Anjungan and the Paw…

Size and aquarium

Maximum size

30mm, standard length

Aquarium size

Minimum length 45 cm, Minimum depth 30 cm

Water

Water conditions

Temperature 22–28°C, pH 3–6.5

Hardness

1–4dGH

Conductivity

Not recorded

Behaviour

Temperament

Species tank only

Community suitability

Not for a community

Where it lives

Countries, regions, rivers and lakes

Indonesia, Borneo, Kapuas, Pawan

Writing

Etymology

Parosphromenus: from the Latin para, meaning 'beside', and the generic name Osphromenus. ornaticauda: from the Latin ornatus, meaning 'ornate', and cauda, mean…

Distribution

Known from a handful of localities within the Kapuas drainage around the town of Anjungan, West Kalimantan (Kalimantan Barat) province, Indonesia (Borneo), and…

Habitat

A stenotypic inhabitant of peat swamp forests and associated blackwater streams. In unaltered habitats the dense canopy of branches above means very little lig…

Aquarium size

An aquarium with base dimensions of 45 ∗ 30 cm or equivalent is sufficient for a pair; this species requires a little more space than the majority of congeners…

Maintenance

Can be maintained in a fully-decorated aquarium although many breeders prefer not to use a substrate for ease of maintenance. Driftwood roots and branches can …

Can be maintained in a fully-decorated aquarium although many breeders prefer not to use a substrate for ease of maintenance.

Driftwood roots and branches can be used and placed such a way that a few shady spots are formed, and clay plant pots, lengths of piping or even plastic camera-film containers can be included to provide further shelter and potential spawning sites.

The addition of dried leaf litter further emphasises the natural feel and as well as offering additional cover for the fish brings with it the growth of microbe colonies as decomposition occurs.

These can provide a valuable secondary food source for fry and the tannins and other chemicals released by the decaying leaves are also considered beneficial for fishes from blackwater environments. Alder cones may also be used for the latter purpose.

Like others in the genus this species does best under fairly dim lighting. You can add aquatic plant species that can survive under such conditions such as Microsorum, Taxiphyllum or Cryptocoryne spp., while floating vegetation, especially Ceratopteris spp., is also useful.

Filtration need not be too strong, with an air-powered sponge filter or similar adequate, and since this species tends to be maintained in pairs (see 'Behaviour and Compatibility') a filter may not be required at all provided the fish are not overfed and maintenance is stringent.

The latter must include small weekly water changes of 5-10 % aquarium volume with irregular or larger changes not recommended.

All Parosphromenus spp. require acidic conditions with negligible carbonate hardness and very low general hardness so a reverse osmosis unit or other method of obtaining soft water may need to be employed, and this can be further acidified using phosphoric acid or similar if necessary.

There is no need to use natural peat, the collection of which is both unsustainable and environmentally-destructive.

It goes without saying that these are fishes are sensitive to fluctuating organic wastes and should never be introduced to biologically-immature aquaria.

Editing needs JavaScript. This is the text as it was last saved.

Where does this come from?

My own experienceFor example, I've kept twelve in a planted 60 cm tank since March 2024.A website I sawFor example, an IUCN Red List assessment, a museum catalogue or a FishBase page.A paperFor example, Marshall et al. (2011), Water temperature differences in interfluvial palm swamp habitats of Paracheirodon axelrodi and P. simulans.A book, or something not onlineFor example, Tappin (2010), Rainbowfishes: their care and keeping in captivity.Something already on the pageFor example, the Behaviour and compatibility section already says this.

Web address

Paste the address of the page that says this. What counts as a source

DOI

Paste a DOI and we will look up the rest of the reference. A DOI looks like 10.11646/zootaxa.4694.4.1, and most papers print it on the first page.

Title

Enter the title of the paper, book or page. If you leave it empty, we will use the website's address.

Authors

Separate authors with semicolons, e.g. Tan, H.H.; Ng, P.K.L.

Year

Journal or publisher

Pages

Enter the page that says this, e.g. 218 or 218–221.

Anything worth adding

Describe what you saw, or which part of the source says this.

Water conditions

Not written yet

Diet

This species is chiefly a micropredator feeding on tiny aquatic invertebrates, therefore in the aquarium it must be offered a variety of small live foods such …

Behaviour and compatibility

Not recommended for the general community aquarium for reasons already touched upon. It's care requirements, disposition, and especially conservation status di…

Sexual dimorphism

In males the lower portion of the caudal-fin is black with 1-3 hyaline spots and a broad bluish-white margin while the upper part contains a broad orange to re…

Reproduction

Not easy. This species normally spawns in small caves or among leaf litter and forms temporary pair bonds with the male solely responsible for egg and brood-ca…

Notes

This species has occasionally appears in the aquarium trade in substantial quantities but is not an easy species to maintain in captivity and often susceptible…

References

5 on this profile

Name

Scientific name

Described by

Family

Common names

Photograph credits

Summary

Size and aquarium

Maximum size

Aquarium size

Water

Water conditions

Hardness

Conductivity

Behaviour

Temperament

Social needs

Community suitability

Where it lives

Countries, regions, rivers and lakes

Writing

Etymology

Distribution

Habitat

Aquarium size

Maintenance

Water conditions

Diet

Behaviour and compatibility

Sexual dimorphism

Reproduction

Notes

References

References