Habitat

The fish lives in fresh water, bethopelagic, with calm, shallow currents, and lots of aquatic plants, swamps, lakes, ditches, rice fields, and slow water flow. It can live in waters with pH ranging from 4-9 and the temperature is 220C-280C.

Distribution

This fish is naturally (natively) found in China, Cambodia, Laos, Viet Nam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand. It is an introduce fish in Namibia, Colombia, and Papua New Guinea. The distribution area in Indonesia is in Sumatra, Sulawesi, Kalimantan, Papua, and Java.

Food

It is an omnivorous fish whose food includes mosses, aquatic plants, zooplankton, small crustaceans, and various insect larvae.

Reproduction

It begins to breed at a size of 6-7cm, with fecundity ranging from 4,500-7,500 eggs. Spawning period is in the rainy season and occurs in bubble nests (foam) that have been prepared previously.