So, when I first got my pearl (My first ever Gourmi) I asked the supposed 'expert' at the fish desk how to tell male and female apaert. She said you cant. Is this true? I figure its not (at first I believed it) true because how would the mate them? Its like just guessing.
Males or females?
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Katchan
Fish Addict
Pearl gouramis are actually about the easiest IMO to sex (of the mid size range)
Males have a point to the dorsal fin, and is generally longer the famales.
Females have a rounded dorsal tip to the dorsal fin
Females are generally wider through the body than males, Conversly males tenf to be longer and thiner
These are general lines for all the mid size gourami (pearl, 3 spot and varients etc)
But specifically for the pearl what makes it easy to sex is as males develop they get a red throat area
see below for more info
http
/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=72152
hope this helps
katchan
Edit in - in some fish it next to impossible to sex them, eg angels - in this case the best way is to purchase a group of young fish and grow them until they pair off.
Males have a point to the dorsal fin, and is generally longer the famales.
Females have a rounded dorsal tip to the dorsal fin
Females are generally wider through the body than males, Conversly males tenf to be longer and thiner
These are general lines for all the mid size gourami (pearl, 3 spot and varients etc)
But specifically for the pearl what makes it easy to sex is as males develop they get a red throat area
see below for more info
http
/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=72152hope this helps
katchan
Edit in - in some fish it next to impossible to sex them, eg angels - in this case the best way is to purchase a group of young fish and grow them until they pair off.
Also, if you vompare a male to a female from above you'll see the female is wider. The male, from the side is more elongated-looking and more streamlined - realy it's just that the female is 'deeper'.
Some thing else you'll see besides the color is that, as the male matures, the fin rays on the anal and a little on the dorsal fins become extended so that the fins look lace-like (thus the common name 'lace gourami') while the females' usualy remain pretty much the same length.
Once your fish reach a reasonable size, you'll also be able to tell the difference from their behaviour - and this applies to almost any species. In pearls, the male will set up a territory and may sometimes be seen defending it while the female is less territorial. He may also chase her around a bit. However, pearls are not as violent as most other gouramies in defending their territory and spawning so it won't be as obvious as it would be in, say, a three-spot.
Some thing else you'll see besides the color is that, as the male matures, the fin rays on the anal and a little on the dorsal fins become extended so that the fins look lace-like (thus the common name 'lace gourami') while the females' usualy remain pretty much the same length.
Once your fish reach a reasonable size, you'll also be able to tell the difference from their behaviour - and this applies to almost any species. In pearls, the male will set up a territory and may sometimes be seen defending it while the female is less territorial. He may also chase her around a bit. However, pearls are not as violent as most other gouramies in defending their territory and spawning so it won't be as obvious as it would be in, say, a three-spot.
Well blue gouramies are trichogaster trichopterus and pearls are trichogaster leeri. Can you sex your fish? Do you know if the pearl is male and the blue female or vice versa or whatever? Are both fish the same size also?
Either you have a lonely male pearl and a single female blue or you have a mature male pearl with a young blue (of whatever sex). They could also both be male or (though less likely) both female, in which case the chasing is just territorial.
Now to answer your actual question, yes, pearls and three-spots CAN inter-breed. However, any eggs/fry will get eaten or starve anyway in a community tank so it doesn't matter. Please don't try to hybridize your gouramies on purpose though.
One more thing, if you have several pearls of different sexes, the pearl you are talking about is very unlikely to choose a blue over one of its own species.
Either you have a lonely male pearl and a single female blue or you have a mature male pearl with a young blue (of whatever sex). They could also both be male or (though less likely) both female, in which case the chasing is just territorial.
Now to answer your actual question, yes, pearls and three-spots CAN inter-breed. However, any eggs/fry will get eaten or starve anyway in a community tank so it doesn't matter. Please don't try to hybridize your gouramies on purpose though.
One more thing, if you have several pearls of different sexes, the pearl you are talking about is very unlikely to choose a blue over one of its own species.
LoachLover
Snails Beware
Easiest and fastest way for me to tell is the males dorsal fin comes to a point at the end and the females dorsal fin is rounded.
If they are both female it's just hierarchical and, in time, you should find the roles will reverse. Once both fish have matured, it should be the blue that dominates the pearl. There are a few exceptions but this is almost always the case.
hi how can u tell kissing gouramis apart whether dey r female or male? 
Hi 
You can't visualy sex kissing gouramies reliably. You can only tell for certain if you see them spawning.
How many do you have and in what size tank? These fish are territorial and get to 8", you shouldn't be keeping any in anything less than a 30 gallon and prefferably no more than 3 in this size tank either. Most fish shops don't tell you that these fish get quite big unfortunately.
Welcome to the forums BTW.
You can't visualy sex kissing gouramies reliably. You can only tell for certain if you see them spawning.
How many do you have and in what size tank? These fish are territorial and get to 8", you shouldn't be keeping any in anything less than a 30 gallon and prefferably no more than 3 in this size tank either. Most fish shops don't tell you that these fish get quite big unfortunately.
Welcome to the forums BTW.
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