Gourami Changing Colour?

[TotallyTropical]

I checked my tank to turn off the light to go to bed the other night, and I noticed that one of my snakeskin gouramis had changed colour, but only on half of their body. They still have that colouration and are behaving normally and have no other visual ailments that I know of other than a ragged tail (could have snagged it on something, but I'm keeping my eye out for tail peckers). Does anyone know what this colouration means?

 

[Asteria]

I've just had a look at some images online. 
Now I can't say any of this is right
 
But to me it looks like they have that kind of feint markings anyways. Could just be a sign of maturity in the fish. Or its male. But I don't really know much about these guys. 

 

[gmc1]

Mine do lighten up from time to time.I have never seen it go half and half though.is the temperature ok?

 

[TotallyTropical]

Mine do lighten up from time to time.I have never seen it go half and half though.is the temperature ok?

Yeah, I've been keeping it at 77-78, and it hasn't been fluctuating.
 
 

I've just had a look at some images online. 
Now I can't say any of this is right
 
But to me it looks like they have that kind of feint markings anyways. Could just be a sign of maturity in the fish. Or its male. But I don't really know much about these guys. 

It could be, but I have no clue.

 

[Asteria]

I wouldn't say it's anything to worry over 

 

[gmc1]

There's a thread on here I found."blue gourami now half black".

 

[TotallyTropical]

Alright, I'll just keep an eye out. I have never heard anything about snakeskins until I picked up a pair, so it could just be a natural colour change.

 

[Asteria]

I'd say it's just him coming into colour after being stressed from fish shop tanks and transporting. It can take fish a few months to get their actual colouring and thus fish seem to 'change' colour when you've had them longer. 
When fish are stressed they will usually look pale and see through. So to me this is just a; potential male coming into his full colours.
It's definitely natural colouring though

 

[TotallyTropical]

Hmm, I guess that could be it. I just thought 6 months seemed like a long time, and my other gourami hasn't shown this colouring yet. They both seem to be males though, from what I can tell; their dorsal fins are very jagged because it is more of a spiny dorsal fin, so I can't really tell from that, but they aren't as rounded in the abdomen as a female would be. I'm assuming I only have one female in the tank, and the rest are males. I'm surprised they've been this calm in male-only pairs

 

[Asteria]

His colouring could also be because he's the dominant male. And thus why you won't be seeing the other colouring up. 

 

[zuulan]

It's probably just due to some stress. Just make sure there's nothing to stress him over the next 2 weeks and he'll probably go back to normal. Are you able to turn down the lights?

 

[TotallyTropical]

His colouring could also be because he's the dominant male. And thus why you won't be seeing the other colouring up. 

I'm not too sure about that, considering there's another male in there twice the size of him. The larger male isn't more agressive, but he definitely seems like the head of the tank.
 
 

It's probably just due to some stress. Just make sure there's nothing to stress him over the next 2 weeks and he'll probably go back to normal. Are you able to turn down the lights?

I don't think I'm able to adjust the brightness, but the tank is right underneath a window. If I left the lights off, would there be enough light from there to be a calmer lighting?