Genus · Gouramis

Trichopsis

Trichopsis is a genus with 3 species in this atlas, catalogued in the Gouramis section, recorded from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and 5 more countries. Adult sizes run from 1.5 in to 3 in. Every species below links to a full researched profile.

Species in atlas
3
Adult sizes
1.5–3 in
IUCN assessed
3 of 3
Recorded from
8 countries

About the genus

Trichopsis is a genus of small labyrinth fish in the gourami family, native to the slow, often densely vegetated waters of Southeast Asia - Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam through to Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Singapore. The atlas covers 3 species, 1.5–3 in, all sharing the anabantoid labyrinth organ that lets them gulp air at the surface, elongate thread-like pelvic fin rays used to feel out their surroundings, and a mottled or striped pattern that blends into leaf litter and plant cover.

The genus is well known to community aquarists as the 'croaking gouramis,' a name earned by their unusual ability to produce an audible clicking or croaking sound with specialised pectoral fin muscles, most often heard during courtship and territorial display. The sparkling gourami (Trichopsis pumila) is a particular favourite for small, peaceful nano tanks, while the three-stripe gourami (T. schalleri) and croaking gourami (T. vittata) are somewhat larger and equally manageable. All 3 species carry a Least Concern IUCN status, reflecting their wide distribution across the region's still and slow-flowing lowland waters.

IUCN Red List: Least Concern · 3

The 3 species

Every Trichopsis recorded in this atlas. Each card links to a full researched profile — distribution, water parameters, and aquarium care, cited to primary sources. 3 have hobbyist breeding reports (◉).

(Arnold, 1936)

Sparkling gourami, Pygmy gourami

1.5 in TL · LC

Ladiges, 1962

Three-stripe gourami

2 in SL · LC

(Cuvier, 1831)

Croaking gourami, Talking gourami, Squeaking gourami

3 in TL · LC

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How to cite

Aquarist Atlas (2026). Genus Trichopsis. Aquarist Atlas. https://www.aquaristatlas.com/trichopsis/

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