Giant Golden Gourami

The Giant Gourami is laterally compressed with a deep bodied oval shape and a blunt head. As juveniles their head is flat and pointed, but as adults they develop a ‘nuchal hump’, a swollen knob or lump on the forehead, along with thick lips and a thick chin. The forehead of the male tends to be larger than on the female, while the lips of the female tend to be the thicker of the two. The ventral fins are threadlike. Like all other gouramis they have a special ‘labyrinth organ’ which enables them to survive in oxygen-depleted waters.