''Parosphromenus'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

gourami Gouramis, or gouramies , are a group of fresh water, freshwater Anabantiformes, anabantiform fish that comprise the family (biology), family Osphronemidae. The fish are native to Asia—from the Indian Subcontinent to Southeast Asia and northeas ...

es native to freshwater in

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...

. All species are highly specialized peat swamp inhabitants native to southeast Asia, and the males are usually brightly colored in breeding dress; however, their need for soft, acidic water and live food prohibits the genus from becoming popular aquarium fish.

Conservation Status

In the present day, almost all species of licorice gouramis are

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

. Aquarist-run programs exist to ensure the survival of the many species of licorice gouramis. Trade from specialist breeders is the only way to obtain these rare fish, and specimen must be monitored closely for a species

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

to check the total

population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...

Species

The currently recognized species are: * '' Parosphromenus alfredi'' Kottelat & P. K. L. Ng, 2005 * '' Parosphromenus allani'' B. Brown, 1987 * ''

Parosphromenus anjunganensis ''Parosphromenus'' is a genus of gouramies native to freshwater in Southeast Asia. All species are highly specialized peat swamp inhabitants native to southeast Asia, and the males are usually brightly colored in breeding dress; however, their ne ...

'' Kottelat, 1991 * ''

Parosphromenus barbarae ''Parosphromenus'' is a genus of gouramies native to freshwater in Southeast Asia. All species are highly specialized peat swamp inhabitants native to southeast Asia, and the males are usually brightly colored in breeding dress; however, their ne ...

'' * ''

Parosphromenus bintan ''Parosphromenus'' is a genus of gouramies native to freshwater in Southeast Asia. All species are highly specialized peat swamp inhabitants native to southeast Asia, and the males are usually brightly colored in breeding dress; however, their ne ...

'' Kottelat & P. K. L. Ng, 1998 * '' Parosphromenus deissneri'' ( Bleeker, 1859) (licorice gourami) * ''

Parosphromenus filamentosus ''Parosphromenus'' is a genus of gouramies native to freshwater in Southeast Asia. All species are highly specialized peat swamp inhabitants native to southeast Asia, and the males are usually brightly colored in breeding dress; however, their ne ...

'' Vierke, 1981 (spiketail gourami) * ''

Parosphromenus gunawani ''Parosphromenus'' is a genus of gouramies native to freshwater in Southeast Asia. All species are highly specialized peat swamp inhabitants native to southeast Asia, and the males are usually brightly colored in breeding dress; however, their ne ...

'' I. Schindler & Linke, 2012 * ''

Parosphromenus harveyi ''Parosphromenus harveyi'' is a species of gourami endemic to Malaysia, where it is only known from Selangor. The most extreme freshwater habitats in Peninsular Malaysia is the peat swamp forest that consist of dark-coloured and highly acidic wat ...

'' B. Brown, 1987 * ''

Parosphromenus juelinae ''Parosphromenus'' is a genus of gouramies native to freshwater in Southeast Asia. All species are highly specialized peat swamp inhabitants native to southeast Asia, and the males are usually brightly colored in breeding dress; however, their ne ...

'' Shi, Guo, Haryono, Hong, & Zhang, 2021WENTIAN SHI, SHUJIE GUO, HARYONO HARYONO, YIJIANG HONG & WANCHANG ZHANG, 2021, Diagnoses of two new species of Parosphromenus (Teleostei: Osphronemidae) from Bangka Island and Kalimantan, Indonesia, Zootaxa, https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5060.1.3 * ''

Parosphromenus kishii ''Parosphromenus kishii'' is a species of fish in the Osphronemidae family that was recorded as early as 1999, and formally described in 2021. Habitat ''Parosphromenus kishii'' can be found in a single river system and swampy forest in the Centr ...

'' Shi, Guo, Haryono, Hong, & Zhang, 2021 * ''

Parosphromenus linkei ''Parosphromenus'' is a genus of gouramies native to freshwater in Southeast Asia. All species are highly specialized peat swamp inhabitants native to southeast Asia, and the males are usually brightly colored in breeding dress; however, their ne ...

'' Kottelat, 1991 * ''

Parosphromenus nagyi ''Parosphromenus'' is a genus of gouramies native to freshwater in Southeast Asia. All species are highly specialized peat swamp inhabitants native to southeast Asia, and the males are usually brightly colored in breeding dress; however, their ne ...

'' Schaller, 1985 * ''

Parosphromenus opallios ''Parosphromenus'' is a genus of gouramies native to freshwater in Southeast Asia. All species are highly specialized peat swamp inhabitants native to southeast Asia, and the males are usually brightly colored in breeding dress; however, their ne ...

'' Kottelat & P. K. L. Ng, 2005 * ''

Parosphromenus ornaticauda ''Parosphromenus'' is a genus of gouramies native to freshwater in Southeast Asia. All species are highly specialized peat swamp inhabitants native to southeast Asia, and the males are usually brightly colored in breeding dress; however, their ne ...

'' Kottelat, 1991 * ''

Parosphromenus pahuensis ''Parosphromenus'' is a genus of gouramies native to freshwater in Southeast Asia. All species are highly specialized peat swamp inhabitants native to southeast Asia, and the males are usually brightly colored in breeding dress; however, their ne ...

'' Kottelat & P. K. L. Ng, 2005 * ''

Parosphromenus paludicola ''Parosphromenus'' is a genus of gouramies native to freshwater in Southeast Asia. All species are highly specialized peat swamp inhabitants native to southeast Asia, and the males are usually brightly colored in breeding dress; however, their ne ...

'' Tweedie, 1952 * '' Parosphromenus parvulus'' Vierke, 1979 * '' Parosphromenus phoenicurus'' I. Schindler & Linke, 2012 * '' Parosphromenus quindecim'' Kottelat & P. K. L. Ng, 2005 * '' Parosphromenus rubrimontis'' Kottelat & P. K. L. Ng, 2005 * '' Parosphromenus sumatranus'' Klausewitz, 1955 * '' Parosphromenus tweediei'' Kottelat & P. K. L. Ng, 2005

References

Macropodusinae Freshwater fish genera Taxa named by Pieter Bleeker Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Anabantiformes-stub