Picture source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flame_gourami_1.jpg
Image author: Debivort (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Osphronemidae
Genus: Trichogaster (Cuvier, 1831)
Species:T. lalius
Binomial name: Trichogaster lalius
Flame red dwarf gourami, are color variants of species T.lalius, (aka Colisa lalia). Dwarf gourami are originally endemic to South Asia ( Pakistan, India and Bangladesh). These species have been introduced into other regions and are found in many other South Asian countries. These species, where found in abundance, are used as dried fish. Among aquarists these types are very popular as dwarf gourami. They are usually 1.5 to 2 inches in length, though much bigger specimen have been recorded. They live in streams, rivers and ponds and to inhabit dense aquatic vegetation. The males fish show diagonal alternating red and blue stripes on a silvery body. Many color variants like powder blue and flame red gourami have been developed by aquarium fish breeders.