Sphaerichthys vaillanti

Sphaerichthys vaillanti, sometimes known as Vaillant's chocolate gourami, Samurai gourami, or Samurai zebra gourami ,[1] is a species of gourami. It is native to Asia, where it is known only from the Semitou Kalimantan region of Borneo in Indonesia. It is generally seen in pairs in small creeks or drainage where wood debris is abundant. It is known to mimic dead leaves as a form of camouflage. The species reaches 3.9 cm (1.5 inches) in standard length and is known to be a facultative air-breather.[2]

Sphaerichthys vaillanti
male and female Vaillant’s chocolate gouramis
Female (front); Male (back);
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Anabantiformes
Family: Osphronemidae
Genus: Sphaerichthys
Species:
S. vaillanti
Binomial name
Sphaerichthys vaillanti
Pellegrin, 1930

Discovery and History

This species was discovered and described by Leon Vaillant, who mistakenly first thought of it as a Frail gourami (Ctenops nobilis).

It was then named after Leon by Jacques Pellegrin for discovering the new species. The year of its description is 1832.

Life Cycle
Juvenile gourami

Unlike many other fish species, the female of these mouthbrooders actually initiates the courting behavior, and during this time, they will remain upright for many hours during reproduction. The female will then lay the eggs, about 10-40, and the male will gather them in his mouth. He will then hide while the female guards the area to protect the eggs.

Description

The male and female of this species have great sexual dimorphism as the females are brightly colored red with a predominant green and dark vertical stripes. The males are much simpler with a dull reddish brown with a few vertical and horizontal white lines. Juveniles are brown with clear caudal tails and white markings throughout. All of the coloring that these anabantoids have are to resemble the dead leaf litter and debris that is found naturally in their environment.

Threats

This species is threatened in many ways in that it is an endemic species to Borneo. It is very popular and sought after in the aquarium trade, making it vulnerable to going extinct due to mass collection. Habitat destruction and pollution also threaten this gourami, as it was hard to find and rare in the first place.

References
  1. "Sphaerichthys vaillanti – Vaillant's Chocolate Gourami — Seriously Fish". Retrieved 2023-02-13.
  2. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2023). "Sphaerichthys vaillanti". FishBase.

3. https://aquadiction.world/species-spotlight/samurai-gourami/ : Vaillant’s chocolate Gourami Retrieved 2023-9-23


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