All fish / Osphronemidae

Hong Kong Paradise Fish

Macropodus hongkongensis

Also known as hong kong paradisefish, black paradise fish, dark paradise fish, macropodus hongkongensis paradise fish, ホンコンパラダイスフィッシュ, 香港叉尾斗鱼, 香港斗鱼, 黑叉尾斗鱼

A dark brown to blackish paradise fish with faint bars, iridescent blue spangling and a rounded tail with long extended rays in males. It is hardy, copes with cool water and suits keepers who want a characterful labyrinth fish for an unheated or lightly heated planted tank.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

7 cm

Temperature

16 to 26 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

60 litres

Keep as

One male with one or more females, or a pair

Diet

Omnivore: quality flakes and small pellets plus live or frozen bloodworm, daphnia and brine shrimp

Swims

Top of the tank

Lifespan

4 to 6 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Southern China (Guangdong, Hong Kong, Guangxi, Fujian)

Breeding

Males build a bubble nest at the surface, often among floating plants, and guard the eggs and fry after spawning. Breeding is fairly easy in a quiet tank with soft cover, though the female should be removed afterwards.

Good to know

Males fight each other and can harass small or long-finned tankmates, so keep one male per tank. Easily confused with Macropodus spechti and M. opercularis; it is uncommon and declining in the wild, so captive-bred stock is preferable.