Kissing Gourami

Helostoma temminckii

The kissing gourami, Helostoma temminckii, is a Southeast Asian freshwater fish also known as the kissing fish. Its thick, protrusible lips are used for scraping algae and biofilm, and the famous kissing behavior is usually a pushing contest between fish rather than affection. Wild fish are typically greenish or gray with subtle patterning, while the pale pink or white form is the one most familiar in aquariums. Like other labyrinth fishes, it can breathe atmospheric air, an adaptation that helps in warm, slow, oxygen-poor waters.

Aquarium keepers should plan for an adult fish, not the small juveniles often sold in shops. Kissing gouramis can reach a substantial size and do best in warm, spacious tanks with strong filtration, open swimming room, and hardy plants or decor that can tolerate grazing. They eat prepared foods but also need vegetable matter and benefit from algae, blanched greens, and varied omnivore fare. Adults may be pushy with each other and with delicate tankmates. Unlike many gouramis, they are egg scatterers with floating eggs and provide no parental care, so breeding requires separate planning.