Any aquarist, when buying new fish, tries to acquire animals of different genders so that they can breed them. Sometimes males and females are so similar that only experienced specialists are able to discern the distinctive features that fish of different sexes have.
Male gourami, regardless of the species, always has a fairly impressive size. But it must be said that this sign should be paid attention to when the fish approaches the age of puberty, since before this period the male lags behind in growth from the fish of the opposite sex. In addition, the male gourami has a bright coloration, which intensifies even more immediately before spawning itself. For example, most aquarists note the appearance of very bright, saturated colors in the anal fin area, which can turn bright orange or scarlet, and also take on a darkened hue. As for the fins, they are also large and always pointed.
The female gourami during the period of active growth is characterized by a rapid gain in body weight, which, nevertheless, during puberty is always less than that of males. As for the color, it is somewhat paler than that of the males. And even during the spawning period, the color of the female, although it changes, does not change much. Also, aquarists distinguish female gourami by the shape of fins, which are round in shape and rather small in size in relation to body length.

The first step is to pay attention to their external differences. Male gouramis are slightly larger than females, but this trait should only be used when the fish are at puberty. This is due to the fact that when the fish are still fry, the females grow faster than the opposite sex. Then you should look at the color of the animals, since the males always look much brighter than their companions, and this does not depend on the period in which they are compared - immediately before spawning or long before it. And one more important distinguishing feature is the fact that in male gourami the fin is always longer, reaching almost to the tail, and pointed, while in female gourami it has a rounded shape and not so long.
Conclusions TheDifference.ru
- The body of the male during puberty is always larger than the body of the female;
- The color of the male gourami is always brighter and more intense than that of the female, and before spawning, its abdomen becomes bright orange or deep red, but it can be dark, and spots all over the body become more pronounced;
- The female gourami's fin is small and rounded, while in the male it often reaches the tail and is always pointed at the end.