Indeed, it’s interesting and very useful to learn from such instances of deviating behaviour.
Factually, there is much more deviating behaviour than we have thought hitherto. Observing some “difficult” fish we all concentrate on finding out the standard forms of their unknown behaviour and often neglect many other things that don’t fit into the standard scheme.
When I first observed a female Paro guarding eggs (= paludicola) I quickly interpreted that as a reaction to the death of the male. Secondly, Linke observed a female linkei guarding her eggs although the male was present nevertheless. And thirdly I saw similar things with parvulus.
Probably, the following has happened in your tank, Stefanie:
1. The pair spawned in that other cave and the male stayed there with the eggs and young until now.
2. The female “stole” some eggs and transferred them to her own cave. I have observed this already with parvulus (not the successful raising, however).
3. The background is that the female Licorice Gouramies have a tendency to care for the eggs and young which is normally dominated by that of the male, but sometimes – for reasons that we don’t know: because of a special strength of the female or a special weakness of the male or something else)this normal scheme can be outdone by the female’s tendency to care for herself.
It’s a theory, but the most plausible I have.