THE STEINHART AQUARIUM - Gulf of Guinea Science ...

Diet: Omnivorous; small invertebrates and
plants.
Reproduction and Development: All gouramis
build nests of small air bubbles that vary in
size, shape, and position depending on the
species. Some may incorporate plants; others
are only bubbles.
Remarks: Common name comes from the
small, light spots that cover the body like
iridescent “pearls.
Moonlight Gourami
Trichogaster microlepis (Osphronemidae)
Gouramies
Distribution: Thailand and Cambodia.
Habitat: Lives in ponds, lakes and swamps
with shallow, sluggish or standing water and
abundant vegetation.
Appearance: It has a greenish hue similar
to moonlight glow, hence its name, and
a distinctive concave head. Males can be
identified by the orange to red color of the
pelvic fins and the long, pointed dorsal fins.
The female’s pelvic fins are colorless to yellow,
while the dorsal fins are shorter and rounder.
Length: 12–15 cm.
Diet: Omnivore. Eats insects, crustaceans, and
zooplankton.
Reproduction and Development: Oviparous;
a bubble nest builder. The bubble nest does not
contain much plant matter so the bubbles float
around freely. The male performs a courtship
dance beneath the nest, culminating with the
male wrapping itself around the female and
turning her on her back as she releases her
eggs. Up to 2000 eggs may be laid during
the spawning. The male fertilizes the eggs
as they float up to the prepared bubble nest.
Eggs incubate in the nest for 2–3 days before
hatching.
Remarks: Like all gouramis, has a lung-like
organ that allows it to breathe air directly by
gulping at the surface, an ability that increases
survival in low oxygen situations.
Blue Gourami
Trichogaster trichopterus (Belontiidae)
Gouramies
Distribution: Southeast Asia: Mekong River
basin in Laos, Yunnan, Thailand, Cambodia,
and Viet Nam
California Academy of Sciences
191
Habitat: Preference is thickly vegetated fresh
water in ditches, canals, ponds, swamps, rivers
or lakes.
Appearance: The three-spot gourami displays
only two spots, one in the center of the body
and a second on the caudal peduncle. The eye
is actually the third “spot”. Their scientific
name refers to the long pelvic fins that seem
like “hair” (Gr. trichias) “wings” (Gr. pteron).
Length to 15 cm.
Diet: Omnivorous
Reproduction and Development: Typical of
gouramies, male builds bubble nest, usually
under a large leaf, after which he displays to
female. Their courtship ends with her releasing
eggs, which the male fertilizes and then collects
in his mouth and “spits” into the bubble
nest, where he guards them until they hatch
in 2–3 days.
Remarks: Like all gouramies, have a labyrinth
organ just behind the gills that enables these
fish to breathe air and so inhabit water low in
oxygen. You may see them regularly come to
the surface, release an air bubble, or swallow
air.”
ORDER PLEURONECTIFORMES
(FLATFISHES)
Pacific Sanddab
Citharichthys sordidus (Paralichthyidae)
Large-tooth Flounders
Distribution: Bering Sea to Cabo San Lucas,
Baja California.
Appearance: Flatfish; left-eyed, bottom dwelling.
Eyed side mottled brown, blind side light. To 40
cm long. Similar to speckled sanddab though are
darker with yellow, orange, or reddish-brown
rather than black spots.
Habitat: Sandy bottom, most commonly from
45–140 m, though reported as deep as 550 m.
Diet: Opportunistic feeders: small fishes,
mollusks, marine worms, sea squirts, copepods.
Often swim above the bottom to feed.
Reproduction and Development: Spawn from
July through September, possibly multiple
times.
Mortality/Longevity: Sharks, rays, marine
mammals and a variety of seabirds are among
their predators. Older specimens probably live
in excess of 11 years.