Honey Gourami ID  10/17/08
Hello Crew,
I had read great things about the Honey Gourami: small, peaceful, reasonably hardy, and beautiful, so when I came across these at the LFS, I sort of impulse bought this pair of fish. They were labeled as 'Honey Gourami, Colisa sota, but after bringing them home and doing some more research, I don't think these are really Honey Gouramis. I read on WWM and other sites that these bright red fish may be hybrids
or sports of another species.
<Indeed; suspect that is the case here. In any event, not a "wild-type" fish of any species. Not pure Dwarf Gourami (Colisa lalia) or Honey Gourami (Trichogaster chuna) either. There are fish sold as "red honey Gouramis" and these are of unknown genetics and maybe even different fish in different countries.>
I've compared my fish to pictures of C. lalia, fasciata, labiosa, and sota, and they look close but not exact.
<Agreed, certainly not the wild-type of any of them. They have a too-long body (to my eyes) to be Colisa lalia or Trichogaster chuna. Actually look like some sort of hybrid with Colisa fasciata because of the length of the body.>
My questions are: What species are they? Are these hybrids? Will hybrids reproduce?
<Some hybrids will breed without problems. It's a case of "try it and see".>
One has a pointed spear-shaped dorsal tip, and the other's is shorter and rounded. However, looking at them with a light behind, they both have identically shaped viscera and swim bladders (at least to my eyes, and I don't really know what to look for). How are they sexed?
<Likely the one with longer fins is the male.>
Do I have a pair? Are females generally not sold/available?
<In some markets (e.g., the US) female Dwarf Gouramis aren't sold, but certainly here in England male and female Gouramis of all types are available.>
Their color did not fade in the bag on the way home, nor in the white bucket that I put them in to acclimate. They remain as bright red as they were at the LFS. Does that mean they are artificially colored?
<May be enhanced somewhat by using colour-enhancing food, but the basic colouration has been bred into them.>
I hope I didn't buy injected, dipped or otherwise dyed fish.
<Nope.>
Thank you,
Nathan
<Cheers, Neale.>

LFS? Better Explain the Acronym! Why we Can't Breed Powder Blue Gouramis
Thanks for the answer on Rams. What is the LFS? Also I do have another question. How do you know the sex differences in the powder blue dwarf Gourami? Hope to hear from you again! Karrie
<LFS refers to local fish store. Powder Blue Dwarf Gouramis are a line bred fish. They are simply regular dwarf Gouramis with all the red bred out of them. I don't think they export females, but I am sure that they would breed with a normal silver colored female dwarf Gourami.-Chuck>