Honey Gourami vs Dwarf Gourami

[Allivymar]

Coupla questions bout the differences between these 2.

I have 2 male dwarf gouramis (Colisa lalia). Picked up a honey gourami (Colisa chuna or Colisa sota) this eve (along with some neons) and have a buncha questions:

First off, which do I have? It was listed as a honey gourami and the latin name with it was colisa sota. But I went to look up some details on them when I got home, and most of what comes up on google for honey gourami is colisa chuna. The pics match the sota tho; is there a diff? Or is it there are 2 diff names for the same fish?

I know females of the dwarf gouramis have blunter dorsal fins then the males; does the same apply for honey gouramis? The one I bought does not have the pointy bit on the end of the dorsal; its well rounded. Is it possible its a female? Its no duller in color then any of the others.

If it IS a female, would it mate with a dwarf gourami? Are the species that close?

[Terry]

Hiya Allivymar,
Have you tried this site www.aquaworld.netfirms.com

[Allivymar]

Nice site Terry - Thanx!

Still hasn't cleared up my confusion tho LOL The pics of the colisa chuna and one pic of the colisa lalia BOTH look like my new lil one...

[Terry]

Glad you liked the site Allivymar,

I think that they might be the same fish, it might be that 2 differant people found them at differant times so they have two names. Or it might be that they are so closely related they look the same. Or it could just be that they have changed there name since they were first found. Or hahahaha only joking cant think of any more.

[Madame_X]

I kinda wonder if they're both the same fish. I also saw trichogaster chuna/sota. when looking up "honey gourami" on Google.

Its kinda like my Bolivian Rams. I've seen them listed as microgeophagus (or mikrogeophagus) altispinosa and papiliochromis altispinosa. I guess there's been some controversy with the proper scientific name for rams.

Maybe the honey gourami has multiple names, too?

[Terry]

Allivymar will get there in the end, keep looking hahahah 8O

I think that they are probably the same fish.

[Allivymar]

Wait LOL It gets more confusing LOL

On yet another site, I came across the Chocolate Gourami listed as the colisa sota! Could this possibly be any more muddled?? And even worse, no colisa sota is mentioned on fishbase.org. Oi.

Btw, I grabbed a pic of the new one; I'm wondering if it is a female; check out the fins. They are not pointy like the dwarf males. Wouldn't that be cool if it was?!

[Madame_X]

Here's a picture of a male and a female dwarf gourami:

http://aquariumfish.net/catalog_page...m#neonbluemale

"Her" dorsal fin does look a bit like the female on that website. Will keep my fingers crossed for you!

[Allivymar]

Ooooo! Keep your fingers crossed for me...I would be THRILLED if its a female. Course, I still need to find out if the 2 species (if they ARE 2 species) will breed...

Ack...that means I need a new home for my other dwarf gourami...guess the snails will be moving out of the 8g *sigh*

[Terry]

Allivymar,
Here is the discription of honey gourami's (Colisa Chuna) in one of my books, see what you think.

The Females and very young males are Brownish and much duller with a distinct longitudinal stripe. When excited, such as spawning time, the flanks, caudal fin, and rear parts of the dorsal and anal fins of a male will go goldern yellow.
At the same time, the head, nape,underparts, and the front part of the anal fin becomes almost black with irridescence. The ventral fins turn orange.

What i was going to say is if the gourami is quite dark from the eye back towards its tail on the underneath of the fish then i think it would be a male, instead of being dark, if it's more silvery underneath i would say a female.

We will get there in the end. HTH

[rabbit]

"The genuine C. chuna, is a slightly delicate little beauty whose males display an intense black throat patch at breeding time but whose females are convicted of the capital sin of being less colorful. The females are different enough that Hamilton and Buchanan described them as a separate species in 1822, Colisa sota; the confusion of names remains to this day."

Taken from this site. Does that help?

http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/doc...abyrinth.shtml (scroll down a little to honey gourami)

[Allivymar]

I did some more research after reading your post rabbit, and I think my lil one is a flame aka red fire aka cinnamon dwarf gourami. It just doesn't quite fit the honey gourami description despite the sign at the lfs; its too bright for the female, and doesn't have that dark throat of the male although the size is correct. I'm still hoping it a female; the fins certainly fit the female description although its rather brightly colored. I have read some females are well colored, so maybe I got lucky! Guess I'll find out in 2 weeks when it goes into the tank LOL

[ADCISCO]

You know that I am new at this but I have been looking also to get a couple of dwarf gourami. I bought a paradise gourami yesterday...but what I am getting at is that they had honey gourami and the dwarf gourami. The honey gourami was a brown and gold and the body was somewhat bigger. The dwarf I wanted was orangeish red like yours which is a male and the pale blue silvery ones are the females.Well at least that is my understanding.LOL But I am getting them for my birthday.....if I can wait a week!LOL

[Madame_X]

You might be better off if "she" is a cinnamon gourami. I'm pretty sure they were derived from selectively breeding regular dwarf gouramis to bring out the more red color. Essentially, though, I think she would be more likely to breed with a regular dwarf gourami than a honey gourami would have.

[ADCISCO]

I found this today while surfin' the net.

http://www.jackspets.com/freshwatergp.htm

Had some good pictures of gourami.

[Allivymar]

Went n checked the page. Auugghh LOL The pic of the female dwarf gourami has a pointy dorsal fin, and the male has a blunted one.

I'm REALLY hoping what I have is a female cinnamon gourami. Cause wouldn't you know it, my male has built yet ANOTHER bubble nest. Once a week he builds one, once a week I tear it down.

[ADCISCO]

LOL I'll keep an eye out and see what else I can find.You home wrecker!LOL He's ready to have the family!!!!Not your typical male huh???

[Terry]

Allivymar found a couple more sites,

www.webcityof.com
www.fishprofiles.com

HTH