The body colour of climbing perch is a rich brown or olive, and also the fins are generally a tint of brown. On some specimens the tail fin is a beautiful dark red.
Even though these fish are labyrinthic fish, they don’t conform to the usual breeding process of producing a bubble nest, instead the eggs are left totally free to float on the surface, where they hatch in • one day at a temperature of 75°-80°F, that, is if you’re very fortunate. Effective breeding in an aquarium is practically unknown.
These fish are mainly nocturnal, and are invariably pugnacious, as a result they’re not great citizens for the community tank. Food should consist mainly of animal foods, preferably fed in small pieces, but these fish will eat nearly anything.
The climbing perch can survive long periods out of water providing its breathing organs are kept moist by occasional dips in water, or by humidity in the atmosphere.
When travelling overland, the fish supports itself by its strong pectoral fins and moves forward by extending the gill plates and rocking its body. The edges of the gill plates are serrated and this helps the fish to grip when climbing out of a pool.