Chang Jiang

A. macropterus appears in the ornamental trade on an irregular basis and should only be considered by more experienced aquarists with sufficiently large facilities. Given its wide geographical distribution there is a possibility that it represents a group of closely-related species, with genetic studies indicating the existence of several distinct clades.

No bubble nest is built and several thousand eggs simply float at the surface with both male and female remaining to defend the eggs and fry. The eggs hatch after 24-36 hours depending on temperature and the fry are free swimming in a further 24 hours. At this point they resemble 6-7 mm long black tadpoles. It is important to constantly feed...

M. opercularis is a classic aquarium fish, having been introduced to the hobby by a French soldier named Gerault in 1869. Of the initial 100 specimens shipped, 22 survived and were successfully bred later that same year by another Frenchman, the Parisian Pierre Carbonnier. This gives the species the distinction of being one of the very first ornamental fish imported to Europe. It is also known as 'Chinese fighting fish', 'paradise gourami', and 'blue paradise fish'.

This species appears to exist in a number of different forms which exhibit differences in colour pattern, morphology, or both, and it's currently unclear whether all of them are truly conspecific or not although to avoid confusion we list all together here.

This species is largely unsuitable for the home aquarium given its eventual size and natural behaviour, and we know of only a handful of private aquarists with the facilities required to house it long-term. It's currently illegal to import or own the species in the United States, United Kingdom and several other countries unless in possession of an official license.

Apparently endemic to the upper Yangtze River basin, China. Type locality is 'mountain-stream fiowing into the Ichang gorge of the Yangtsze River'.

Among other Garra species from Southeast Asia and China, G. orientalis is most similar to G. salweenica and G. fuliginosa in that all three possess a roughly triangular, trilobed proboscis on the snout, the anterior margin of which is densely tuberculated, and the inferior margin not in contact with the depressed rostral surface, i.e., the proboscis projects forwards.