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No federal permit to keepHarvey's Licorice Gourami
Parosphromenus harveyi
Fishes › Gouramis, bettas, snakeheads (Anabantiformes) › Osphronemidae (Gouramis and bettas)
Parosphromenus harveyi is a species of gourami endemic to Malaysia, where it is known from Selangor.
Care at a glance
Species-specific aquarium care
- Water: Freshwater.
- Layout: An open-water swimmer: needs long, open swimming space with few obstacles.
- Diet: FishBase classes it as a carnivore.
- Availability: Rarely or never seen in the aquarium trade; expect to source it from specialists or not at all.
Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.
Care guide
Species care notes
- Tank: a base of at least 16 × 8 in (roughly 4 US gallons); space needed is rated “any tank”.
- Water: soft, acidic water, 72–82 °F, pH 3–6.5, 1–4 dGH.
- Behaviour: temperament species tank; in a pair; not a community fish.
- Difficulty: Moderate (Seriously Fish rating).
Short excerpts from the species profile:
- Setup: “Can be maintained in a fully-decorated aquarium although many breeders prefer not to use a substrate for ease of maintenance.”
- Diet: “This species is chiefly a micropredator feeding on tiny aquatic invertebrates, therefore in the aquarium it must be offered a variety of small live foods such as Artemia nauplii, Daphnia, Moina, mosquito larvae, micro worm, etc.”
- Tankmates: “Not recommended for the general community aquarium for reasons already touched upon.”
- Breeding: “Normally spawns in small caves or among leaf litter and forms temporary pair bonds with the male solely responsible for egg and brood-care.”
From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167
Gouramis and labyrinth fish
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Warm, still, vegetated waters. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- Planted, calm tanks with floating plants; they breathe air at the surface, so leave a gap under the lid.
Diet
- Food acceptance is species-specific. Parosphromenus deissneri needs tiny live invertebrate foods and commonly refuses dried foods; a pellet/flake staple cannot cover every labyrinth fish.
Health watch
- Males are territorial; dwarf gourami iridovirus.
Understanding the animal
About this animal
About this animal
The most extreme freshwater habitats in Peninsular Malaysia are the peat swamp forests that consist of dark-coloured, highly acidic waters. Parosphromenus harveyi, commonly referred to as a "licorice gourami" alongside its congeners, is a small labyrinth fish native to peat swamp forests in the Tanjong Malim area within the state of Perak, with populations of the species exhibiting a wide variety of morphological and behavioural traits.
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Parosphromenus harveyi” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174
In the wild
In the wild
From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.1
| Where it lives | Lives in freshwater, in mangroves. |
| Water it lives in | Freshwater. |
| Climate | Tropical climate. |
From the sources
From the sources
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Overview | Parosphromenus harveyi is a species of gourami endemic to Malaysia, where it is known from Selangor. The most extreme freshwater habitats in Peninsular Malaysia are the peat swamp forests that consist of dark-coloured, highly acidic waters. Parosphromenus harveyi, commonly referred to as a "licorice gourami" alongside its congeners, is a small labyrinth fish native to peat swamp forests in the Tanjong Malim area within the state of Perak, with populations of the species exhibiting a wide variety of morphological and behavioural traits. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Where it lives | Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase |
| Wild diet | In captivity, this particular species eats live food such as mosquito larvae, grindal worm, Daphnia, benthic copepods, ostracods, and other annelids. According to observations of captured P. harveyi, this fish only eats live food and most of the dried food items given were refused. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Reproduction | Parosphromenus spp. have been grouped arbitrarily based on courtship behaviour in males which adopt a "head-down", "head-up", or "horizontal" position depending on species. The species normally spawns in small caves or among leaf litter, forming temporary pair bonds with the male solely responsible for egg and brood-care. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Appearance and size | The species is characterized by 11 to 13 dorsal spines, 5 to 7 dorsal soft rays, 11 to 13 anal spines, and 8 to 11 anal soft rays. It is typically around 3.0 to 3.5 cm (1.2 to 1.4 in) in length, with an elongated body and a round caudal fin. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Biology | Facultative air-breathing; Inhabits peat swamp forests. — FishBase |
| History and naming | The generic name is a compound of para meaning "near", "similar to" and Osphronemus, a name coined by Philibert Commerson meaning "olfactory", a reference to its labyrinth organ, which Commerson thought was an olfactory organ. The person honoured in the specific name is thought to be the German born aquarist Will Harvey (1916-2013) who settled in Scotland after World War II and whose obituary Brown wrote. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Conservation | Due to the type locality becoming dried up and deforested, the species appears to have adjourned into the formerly extended nature protection area known as the "Selangor Forest". Despite its protected status, this area too has been drained in large parts and has partially been converted to plantation land. P. harveyi still occurs in some drainage canals and in remaining blackwater streams of the relict jungle. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
Data and studies
Researched care notes
Researched care notes
Findings checked against veterinary, zoo, welfare, keeper and peer-reviewed sources. Air, basking-surface and water temperatures are kept separate, and where sources disagree both are shown. “Study” notes report what a paper measured, not a universal rule.
Liquorice Gouramis (group)
Researched for this genus; applies to its species unless a species note says otherwise.
- The guideline describes soft, low-conductivity acidic water; pH preferences differ among species.1
- An unusual successful institutional water protocol is an exception, not evidence that all populations have broad tolerance. Confidence: LOW.1
- Suitable live microfoods are important; many species accept non-live foods unreliably.1
- Small pair breeding tanks and larger community displays are different contexts; food competition affects stocking.1
The numbers
The numbers
Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.
Water temperature
Range the species tolerates; aim for the middle.
pH
Water hardness
Adult length
Minimum tank footprint
Seriously Fish recommends a tank base of at least 16 × 8 in (about 4 US gallons).
Sources for this sheet
- Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Management of aquarium fish Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Types and features of aquatic systems Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Nutritional diseases of fish Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Seriously Fish — Parosphromenus deissneri Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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