Kingdom Animalia Scientific name Malpulutta kretseri Higher classification Malpulutta Order Perciformes | Family Osphronemidae Phylum Chordata Rank Species | |
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Genus Malpulutta
Deraniyagala, 1937 Similar Frail gourami, Parasphaerichthys, Betta tussyae, Pseudosphromenus cupanus, Pseudosphromenus | ||
The ornate paradisefish or spotted gourami (Malpulutta kretseri) is a species of gourami endemic to Sri Lanka. It inhabits shallow, slow-flowing streams in forested areas shaded with plentiful vegetation near the edges and a substrate covered by leaf litter. It is a carnivore, preying on plankton, fish fry, and the larvae of insects. They can reach a length of 4 cm (1.6 in), though most are only around 2 cm (0.79 in). This species can also occasionally be found in the aquarium trade, where it is reportedly exceedingly shy.
References
Ornate paradisefish Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA