Stocklist of an Oregon dealer

Robert Goldstein mailed me a new stocklist commented by the Sales Manager of “The Wet Spot Tropical Fish” in Portland, and I think that should put here in extracts:

“(…) Lately I have had several people ask about Licorice Gourami types. I’ve been asked not only about their availability, but also their popularity here in the U.S. Many of you have tried to research the few species we are offering and didn’t have much luck finding any information about them. That is because even though they have been available for years and they are unusual fish, there is no real demand for them among hobbyists. Because of this, I thought it was time to talk about these truly beautiful and underrated species.

All Licorice Gouramis should be kept in a dimly lit tank with plenty of hiding places and minimal water flow. They prefer acidic water (5.5-7 pH) that is kept in cooler temperature ranges (71-78 degrees). In my experience these fish will only accept live foods, and therefore are not the best for newer hobbyists. These fish are extremely peaceful among other fish and I would highly recommend a group of the beautiful Sundadanio axelrodi “Neon Rasbora Blue Form” to go with them. Care is the same for all species of Licorice Gourami.

Right now we have three types of Licorice Gouramis available:

Parosphromenus deissneri “Licorice Gourami” is probably the most common of the group. I believe this to be one of the larger of the species, growing to just around 1.75″. But do not count it out because of its small size – this Labyrinth fish packs an amazing amount of color in its small stature! Its body has two horizontal black lines against three contrasting horizontal tan lines running down its body, and vibrant blue fins. This fish really stands out in any aquarium!

The last two types we are offering are Parosphromenus filamentosus “Filament Licorice Gourami”, which has the same markings as its cousin, but has a spade-tail that is colored red and bordered with black and blue. The other is Parosphromeus ornaticauda “Ornate Licorice Gourami”, one of the smallest of the group at just over an inch! This fish is a darker color of brown and the lines are not as prominently black as its other cousins. The fins are black with bright white borders on both the anal and dorsal fin.

Well, I hope this enlightens some of you about another part of the hobby. (…)

I (PF) comment here only that this reveals that the so-called “deissneri” is not that species (it’s usually not that species). Where do I know? Because of the remark (in the descripton of filamentosus) that it had a spade-tail. The true male deissneri has too, even a filament similar to filamentosus. On the other hand are the colour markings very different. Compare the pictures in our species-descriptions. But which species is this alleged “deissneri” in fact? It’s impossible to say by that description. The “vibrant blue fins” may indicate “blue line” (from Sumatra), which is very often in trade in the last years (and mostly called “deissneri”), but it’s not described exactly enough to exclude many other possible species or variants.
Anyway: There are dealers who try to make licorice gouramis more popular and their recommendations are, generally speaking, quite right.