What are a gourami's 'feelers' for?

[Hrafnkel]

Just out of curiosity.

 

[TankGirl]

Supposedly they can "taste" the water to find food and to sense other fish or predators.

 

[lmw80]

they also use them to gauge space...kinda of like cats use their wiskers to feel around too.

 

[TankGirl]

Yeah - like whiskers - that is the perfect analogy.

I hear they do not do very well if they lose their feelers. I had one that lost his during one of his typical days of fighting with the angels. He never grew them back. It could have been old age that took him in the end but it could have been contributed to by the loss of his feelers.

 

[lmw80]

feelers normally do grow back - maybe old age was the reason yours didnt?? But yeah, it is important to their survival that they have them.

 

[Satsumas]

When i had my 2 neon dwarf's they'd often "feel" each other lol
If one swam close by another, the stationary one would reach his feelers out to try and feel for the other.

I found it quite funny and quite sweet at times too.

 

[crazyred]

My opaline gourami uses her feelers all the time. Any time any of the other fish come near her she puts out her feelers to check them out. It's weird to watch, but kind of neat too. Those things can move in all sorts of directions.

 

[Zezmo]

The Feelers are the Gourami's pelvic fins. They supposedly have some taste bubs on them.