Dwarf Gourami antena

[tatnert]

I'm not sure what they are called. the things that hang down on the front bottom of the fish. anyway. my gourami's look like they have shortened. is something wrong? othewise he looks pretty happy.

[ScottishFish]

A gouramis 'feelers' are very often a tasty snack for other fish to nip. What tankmates does your gourami have?

[mizzoutank]

+1 to that.

I'm fairly certain they need those feelers.

that'd be like taking whiskers off a cat.

not pleasant!

[Aeonflame]

A gourami's "feelers" are actually just modified pelvic fins. They can survive without them but they do serve a purpose.

[mizzoutank]

Ah touche!

Learn something new every day.

[MandyK]

That's my favv part about my gourami. Anytime something new is added to the tank, esp fish, he follows it around and sticks out his feeler. I find it quite comical. I hear him in my head saying, "Muuust tooouuch". Lol. Yes, I have the voices. :)

[ekfishlover2011]

That's my favv part about my gourami. Anytime something new is added to the tank, esp fish, he follows it around and sticks out his feeler. I find it quite comical. I hear him in my head saying, "Muuust tooouuch". Lol. Yes, I have the voices. :)

YES!!! My gold gourami Makani does the same thing. I always think its hilarious when i add a new fish because she so desperately wants to touch it that she has to chase it all over the tank (shes 5" long, so kinda intimidating) for hours just to give it a rub down with feelers. I narrate with "Hey! Come here! Come here! Wait! I want to touch you!!! Come here! Wait!" in a really wierd voice.

To the OP its normal like ScottishFish said for other fish to nip at the gourami feelers, but it doesnt seem to affect the gourami itself. Mine fight back, so my fish learned to leave them alone. And they grow back fast too. I got Makani with only one feeler, and now hers are huge.

[MandyK]

Well that makes me feel better. Hehe!