Order Perciformes ( Perciformes )
Suborder Anabantoidei ( Anabantoidei )
Family Osphronemidae ( Osphronemidae )
Subfamily ( Macropodusinae )
Genus Macropodus — Macropodus.
To be continued…
— Black Paradise Fish, Concolor — Macropodus spechti [Schreitmuller, 1936]. Synonym: Macropodus concolor, Macropodus opercularis concolor, Macropodus opercularis spechti. (Eng. — Black Paradise Fish). Inhabits standing, slow-flowing waters and brackish river mouths of Sri Lanka. The body coloration has only one dominant color.
In coloration, this is the blackest paradise fish of the entire group. It differs from the common paradise fish by its dark (black during the spawning period) coloration without vertical stripes. It has the same body shape as the common paradise fish, and the same sex differences (elongated unpaired fins and filaments on the caudal fin in the male). There is no oval dark spot on the gill cover. They are larger in size than M. opercularis. The male reaches 12 cm in length, females up to 8 cm.
The color of the body and head at rest ranges from light brown to reddish-gray with a greenish sheen and barely noticeable red stripes and red specks on the fins. Under certain lighting, the body appears reddish, an emerald color appears, and the fins are also reddish.
The body and head are covered with a reticulated pattern formed by dark scale edges with a black border, especially noticeable in a resting specimen. The belly is slightly lighter. The dorsal fin is bright, dark blue, with the same strokes as on the tail, with a shiny bluish border along its edge. The anal fin is colored similarly.
The tail is black at the base, orange near the end, with dark strokes, edged with a glowing blue stripe along the contour. The outer rays of the caudal fin are strongly elongated, thread-like, resembling a lyre. In addition to the two main elongated rays, there may be additional ones located in the middle of the tail and colored black. The first ray of the ventral fins is elongated and bright red, the rest of the part is gray. The pectoral fins are transparent and colorless.
The coloration of the female does not differ from the male. They can only be distinguished by their fins, but their fins grow slowly. Males have larger and heavily elongated fins. When in a bad mood, the body is dark reddish-brown with barely noticeable hints of red vertical stripes. During the spawning period, the coloration of the fish changes: the male becomes almost black, the ventral fins turn red, the female’s body lightens, vague brown vertical stripes appear, and the belly becomes especially light. The juveniles of black paradise fish are pale in color, their dark coloration appears late — at about six months of age. They should be fed as varied a diet as possible, otherwise the black coloration may not develop.
The most peaceful of the paradise fish, but males are aggressive during the spawning period. It is recommended to keep one male and several females in the aquarium. They are excellent jumpers. To keep them together, they must be raised together, otherwise the male may kill the female if he does not like her, not to mention fatal fights between males. Several pairs can coexist in a spacious aquarium. When introduced into a common aquarium, fry (at the age of 3-4 months) remember their neighbors and, as they grow, do not touch them, but begin to chase every new fish in the aquarium.
The aquarium should be planted with plants to provide hiding places, floating plants are a must. Lighting should not be too bright. As decorations, paradise fish prefer driftwood most of all: they release tannins into the water, the presence of which is familiar to these fish and helps heal minor wounds often incurred during ritual fights. In addition, a weak male or a female tired of her partner’s advances can always hide in the driftwood.
Make sure there are no narrow crevices where a fish could get stuck and die without being able to get out on its own. The substrate is dark. Can be kept in an unheated aquarium. Highly sensitive to environmental deterioration, regular 20% water changes are necessary. Long periods of consistently high temperatures cause diseases such as tuberculosis. Sexual maturity is reached at 5-7 months. They live up to 5 years. dH 10-20°; pH 6.5-8.0; T 17-25°C.
— Round-tailed paradise fish, Chinese paradise fish — Macropodus ocellatus [Cantor, 1842]. Synonyms: Macropodus chinensis, Polyacanthus paludosus. (Eng. — Chinese Paradise Fish, Round Tail Paradise Fish). Eastern China, Japan, Korea. Male 8-9 cm, female 6-7 cm. The body is elongated and compressed laterally.
A distinctive feature of the species is the rounded shape of the tail. The posterior rays of the dorsal fin are filamentous and extend beyond the caudal fin. The main tone of this fish’s body is yellow-brown with vertical dark stripes. The flanks of an adult male are colored black, the head is lighter. There is a dark blue ocellus on the gill cover, the lower edge of the gill covers is slightly toothed.
In males, the head and front part of the body have many dark vertical stripes and spots. Unpaired fins and the first ray of the ventral fin are yellow-brick, dotted with small blue spots, increasing the brightness of the fish. Pectoral fins are transparent. The anal and dorsal fins are long, with a bluish tint, with red spots in the posterior part, and the ends of the ventral fins are elongated into a thread-like state.
Females are paler than males, gray with an emerald sheen, and some females have fins almost as long as those of males. Juveniles are grayish-brown with a slight green sheen. As they grow, green and even turquoise tones become more noticeable.
Can be kept in an unheated aquarium. The fish is aggressive, males fight constantly and will often battle until only one remains. Females are generally much less bellicose and can be kept in small groups. It is recommended to keep one male with several females in the aquarium. For the fish to coexist peacefully in the future, they must be raised together, otherwise, if the male does not like the female, he may even kill her.
Arrange thickets of aquarium plants in the aquarium, floating plants are a must, while still leaving open swimming space, put stones and driftwood, and equip grottoes, but avoid overly narrow crevices so the fish cannot get stuck in them. Lighting in the aquarium is moderate. The filtration flow should not be too strong. It feeds on live food and substitutes.
They mature at the age of 5-7 months. In plant thickets, right at the water’s surface, the male builds a bubble nest among a cluster of floating vegetation. The male cares for the offspring independently. This species is the least prolific in its genus because it requires strong temperature fluctuations caused by cooling. In their homeland, water bodies freeze over in winter. They become susceptible to diseases if kept at high temperatures for long periods. They live up to 4 years. dH 9-15°; pH 6.5-8.0; T 17-25°C.
Parosphromenus deissneri, filamentosus, nagyi, paludicola.
Macropodus erythropterus, Macropodus hongkongensis. 
