Parosphromenus is a genus of gouramies native to freshwater in Southeast Asia. All species are highly specialized peat swamp inhabitants native to southeast Asia, and the males are usually brightly colored in breeding dress; however, their need for soft, acidic water and live food prohibits the genus from becoming popular aquarium fish.
Conservation status In the present day, almost all species of licorice gouramis are endangered. Aquarist-run programs exist to ensure the survival of the many species of licorice gouramis. Trade from specialist breeders is the only way to obtain these rare fish, and specimen must be monitored closely for a species census to check the total population.
Species The currently recognized species are: Parosphromenus alfredi Kottelat & P. K. L. Ng, 2005 Parosphromenus allani B. Brown, 1987 Parosphromenus anjunganensis Kottelat, 1991 Parosphromenus barbarae Parosphromenus bintan Kottelat & P. K. L. Ng, 1998 Parosphromenus deissneri (Bleeker, 1859) (licorice gourami) Parosphromenus filamentosus Vierke, 1981 (spiketail gourami) Parosphromenus gunawani I. Schindler & Linke, 2012 Parosphromenus harveyi B. Brown, 1987 Parosphromenus juelinae Shi, Guo, Haryono, Hong, & Zhang, 2021WENTIAN SHI, SHUJIE GUO, HARYONO HARYONO, YIJIANG HONG & WANCHANG ZHANG, 2021, Diagnoses of two new species of Parosphromenus (Teleostei: Osphronemidae) from Bangka Island and Kalimantan, Indonesia, Zootaxa, https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5060.1.3 Parosphromenus kishii Shi, Guo, Haryono, Hong, & Zhang, 2021 Parosphromenus linkei Kottelat, 1991 Parosphromenus nagyi Schaller, 1985 Parosphromenus opallios Kottelat & P. K. L. Ng, 2005 Parosphromenus ornaticauda Kottelat, 1991 Parosphromenus pahuensis Kottelat & P. K. L. Ng, 2005 Parosphromenus paludicola Tweedie, 1952 Parosphromenus parvulus Vierke, 1979 Parosphromenus phoenicurus I. Schindler & Linke, 2012 Parosphromenus quindecim Kottelat & P. K. L. Ng, 2005 Parosphromenus rubrimontis Kottelat & P. K. L. Ng, 2005 Parosphromenus sumatranus Klausewitz, 1955 Parosphromenus tweediei Kottelat & P. K. L. Ng, 2005
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