By far and away the most popular group of fishes among the anabantids are the gouramis belonging to the family Belontiidae. Of these, members of the genus Trichogaster, such as Trichopterus sumatranus (Blue gourami), Trichopterus microlepis (Moonlight gourami), and Trichopterus leeri (Pearl gourami), are probably the easiest fishes to keep because they are tolerant of most water conditions.
The blue body color of the Paradise Fish is broken by vertical coppery-orange bands, and black blotches are evident on its head. This species was probably the first tropical fish to be kept in Europe, its attractive patterning and hardiness making it very popular during the late 1800s.
Defining a fish is harder than it seems. To most people, it is an animal that lives and breathes in water. Some fish, however, emerge onto land, breathe air, and use their fins like legs. And many other animals, including amphibians, mammals, and invertebrates, live in water. To add further confusion, some creatures called fish—starfish, jellyfish, and cuttlefish—are not really fish at all.
