Sphaerichthys

Genus of fishes

Sphaerichthys
Sphaerichthys osphromenoides
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Anabantiformes
Family: Osphronemidae
Subfamily: Luciocephalinae
Genus: Sphaerichthys
Canestrini, 1860
Type species
Sphaerichthys osphromenoides
Canestrini, 1860[1]

Sphaerichthys is a genus of gouramis native to Southeast Asia known as chocolate gourami.[2] These species live mostly in blackwater rivers/swamps with acidic water. They have dark-light brownish hues with the exception being the female of S. vaillanti which can be dark reddish brown with green-dark blue/black stripes. They are shy fish that are hard to find because of their camouflage which when in action makes them look like a dead leaf floating along the river.

Species

There are currently four recognized species in this genus:[2]

  • Sphaerichthys acrostoma Vierke, 1979 (Giant chocolate gourami)
  • Sphaerichthys osphromenoides Canestrini, 1860 (Chocolate gourami)
  • Sphaerichthys selatanensis Vierke, 1979 (Crossband chocolate gourami)
  • Sphaerichthys vaillanti Pellegrin, 1930 (Valliant's chocolate gourami)

S. acrostoma, S. selatanesis, and S. vaillanti are found in Borneo (Kalimantan), while S. osphromenoides is found in Sumatra and Malaysia.

References

  1. ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Sphaerichthys". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  2. ^ a b Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2014). Species of Sphaerichthys in FishBase. February 2014 version.
Taxon identifiers
Sphaerichthys


  • v
  • t
  • e