Parosphromenus alfredi

Overview

Parosphromenus alfredi is a small black-water gourami from eastern Johor. A mature, very soft acidic species aquarium for a pair is appropriate. Blue iridescence and red-black fin bands characterize males, while plain females make reliable provenance especially important.

Distribution & habitat

It is native to a small area around Kota Tinggi, Mawai, and Desaru in eastern Johor, Peninsular Malaysia. Peat-swamp forest and connected streams have suffered extensive loss through clearing and land conversion.

Canopy shade and decaying organic material create dark, mineral-poor water. The 1992 type series came from a former peat-swamp stream within an oil-palm plantation, with pale brown water at pH 4.5–5.0. Survival in altered habitat does not imply easy water requirements.

Aquarium setup

Allow about 40 × 20 cm for a pair. Wood, roots, pots, pipes, or small containers provide shelters and spawning caves. A bare bottom can simplify cleaning. Leaves, shade-tolerant plants, and floating cover add structure; leaf-associated microorganisms supplement fry food.

Provide acidic water with negligible carbonate hardness and very low general hardness, potentially using reverse osmosis. Use an established aquarium with gentle sponge filtration and weekly changes of about 5–10%. Avoid irregular large changes. Filterless pairs require exceptionally careful feeding and maintenance, not neglect. Routine temperatures suit the lower end of the established range, with modest warming reserved for breeding.

Diet & feeding

A specialist hunter of tiny aquatic invertebrates, it needs varied small live foods such as brine shrimp nauplii, Daphnia, Moina, mosquito larvae, and microworms. Frozen foods are sometimes accepted but should not be the sole provision; most dry products are refused.

Behaviour & compatibility

A busy community is unsuitable. Keeping a pair alone gives some fry a chance to survive naturally; additional adults reduce that prospect. Do not mix related species because females are hard to distinguish and hybridization is possible. Any companions must be tiny, exceptionally peaceful, and compatible with the water.

Sexual dimorphism

Males have black outer fin bands bordered by blue iridescence, with red to black inner areas. Females lack these bright bands and become pale yellow near spawning. Both sexes can show an oblique eye stripe and change color rapidly with mood.

Breeding

The male establishes a small cave-centered territory and courts head-down with fins spread. Pair bonds are temporary. Eggs are attached to the cave ceiling after spawning embraces. A few bubbles may be present or absent; attachment to a surface is the common feature. Inexperienced fish may drop or consume eggs.

The female then guards outside while the male tends the brood. Hatching takes about 24–36 hours. Young become mobile four to six days later, then leave fully swimming after another three to five days, ending care. Initial Paramecium or rotifers can soon give way to brine shrimp nauplii. Structured mature aquariums may allow rearing beside the parents; simpler setups favor separation.

Notes

A rounded tail differs from the rhombic tail of Parosphromenus phoenicurus. Disputed locality reports do not establish replacement by another species.