Not furry, but we like them anyway.
Giant Gourami
Osphronemus goramy Lacepède, 1801
Also called Ikan gurami (Malay/Indonesian), Gourami
From Southeast Asia: probably Sumatra, Borneo, Java, the Malay Peninsula, Thailand and Indochina (Mekong basin), in swamps, large rivers, lakes and still waters; widely introduced elsewhere for food farming.123
At a glance the quick version
Seriously Fish states it can live for over 20 years
Looks how to spot one
Scaled, deep-bodied, compressed labyrinth fish
A very large, deep-bodied fish that can darken to nearly black when spawning. Mature males develop a hump above the eyes and pointed dorsal and anal fins. The wild form is darker, and golden and pink forms are also bred.32
Personality what they are like
A confident fish that develops a personality and responds to its keeper. It is peaceful with other large fish but will see small fish as food.23
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Grows quickly and needs a lot of space to swim and turn comfortably as an adult.23
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
A very large tank or pond with strong filtration and frequent water changes. Plan for its adult size before buying a juvenile.2
Home where they are happiest
Adults need at least 183 x 61 cm of floor space (about 680 litres), and more is better. Temperature 20-30 °C, pH 6.5-8.0, hardness 5-25 dGH.21
Food basics what goes in the bowl
Omnivore. In the wild it eats plants, fish, frogs, earthworms and carrion. In captivity it takes pellets, frozen foods and plenty of vegetable matter.123
Company who they like around
Keep only with large, robust fish that cannot fit in its mouth.2
The story where it all began
Bernard de Lacepède described it in 1801. People have moved it around Southeast Asia since ancient times as a prized food fish, and in the 1800s Cuvier promoted introducing it to French colonies.13
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
It is one of the most highly valued freshwater food fish in Southeast Asian markets, partly because it has no fine bones.3
- 2
It can grow to around 70-80 cm long.1
- 3
It builds a large nest from plant material rather than just bubbles.2
- 4
It has been used to control invasive water plants such as giant salvinia.3
- 5
Kept well, it can live for more than 20 years.2
Recognised by the official bits
- IUCN Red List
- Least Concern (assessed 21 January 2019)1
- Taxonomy
- Family Osphronemidae; described by Lacepède in 18011
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Giant Gourami. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- Feedingevery day
- Water changeAbout 30 to 50% of the waterevery week
- Water testevery week
- Filter rinseevery 2 weeks
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- FishBase: Osphronemus goramy, Giant gourami fishbase.seused for max length, distribution, habitat, water ranges, IUCN status, uses, breeding biology, author and year
- Seriously Fish: Osphronemus goramy (Giant Gourami) seriouslyfish.comused for standard length, native range, habitat, tank size, temperature, pH, hardness, diet, compatibility, sexing, breeding
- Wikipedia: Giant gourami en.wikipedia.orgused for other names, description, taxonomy and history, fun facts
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.