Gourami Anatomy Question

[mtv8dmarine]

I picked up my first gouramis today, 3 pearls. What are their tentacle like things for? My angels have them too but the gouramis seem to actually use them to feel around whereas the ones on angels just go along for the ride.

Also, what are they called?

 

[AstonN24vantage]

they're called barbels. barbs have em, angels, catfish and gouramis also have them. i think that they serve the same purpose as whiskers - to feel around, but please correct me if im wrong.

 

[mtv8dmarine]

Ok thanks. Interesting how different fish have barbels in different locations. If comparing to my cories I would have never guessed that they were called the same thing. =)

 

[Katty]

Barbels are "whiskers" on or by a fish's mouth, like on a catfish or carp.

The fins on the gourami you're talking about are specialized pelvic fins. But they do use them to feel around like whiskers or antennae, which for the gourami is helpful where in the wild the water might be muddy and murky and hard to see through.

 

[Mikaila31]

^lol I was beat

They are fins, not quite barbels. Barbels I believe do depend on being more anteriorly located outgrowths for sensory use(mainly food detection). Yet I can not come up with the true scientific name for those appendages on a gourami. I do know they are modified ventral fins, same as your angels ventral fins. However they have taken on a much more active role being very mobile and "antenna" like. They are used mainly for sensory information. Kinda like kitty whiskers...

Here is a pic of a very inquisitive gold gourami I met at a LFS

 

[mtv8dmarine]

Thank you very much for the clarification.