All fish / Osphronemidae

Malay combtail

Belontia hasselti

Also known as java combtail, combtail gourami, hasselt's combtail, malayan combtail, comb tail, ปลาหัวตะกั่วมาเลย์, kepar, ベロンティア・ハッセルティ, マレーコームテール, selincah, kapar, 梳尾鱼

A sturdy labyrinth fish with an olive to reddish brown body, a net-like pattern on the fins and ragged, comb-like extensions to the tail fin. Keepers value it as a hardy, characterful centrepiece for larger soft-water tanks with plants and cover.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

16 cm

Temperature

24 to 30 °C

pH

5.5 to 7

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

Singly or as a pair; males are territorial

Diet

Carnivore: insects, worms, small crustaceans, frozen bloodworm and shrimp, pellets

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

8 to 12 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo and Java

Breeding

Males build a loose bubble nest among plants, and both parents guard the floating eggs and fry. It breeds fairly readily in a well-planted tank, provided the pair is compatible.

Good to know

It reaches around 20 cm and will eat small fish, so keep it with robust tankmates of a similar size. Belontia signata from Sri Lanka looks similar but is sold as a separate species.