Aquarists might be surprised to discover that the snakeskin gourami grows to about 12 inches long in its house waters, and offers a well-liked fish dish in Ceylon. Nevertheless, aquarium specimens rarely grow longer than 6 inches.
The body colour is a greenish brown, overlaid with pale yellow-gold wavy bars. It is marked with a dark brown to black broken line along the sides.
The fins are varying tints of yellow. The iris of the eye is outstandingly yellow. Sexes could be recognised by the a lot higher dorsal fin of the male. These fish are hardy and very great natured, and are among the simpler bubble nesters to breed. Spawning are generally big, and neither the eggs nor the fry are eaten by the parents. They breed at a temperature of 78° – 82°F.