Home / Fishes / Gouramis, bettas, snakeheads / Ceylonese combtail
No federal permit to keepCeylonese combtail
Belontia signata
Fishes › Gouramis, bettas, snakeheads (Anabantiformes) › Osphronemidae (Gouramis and bettas)
Belontia signata, the Ceylonese combtail, is a species of gourami endemic to Sri Lanka.
Care at a glance
Species-specific aquarium care
- Tank: At least 24 in long and 12 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 3.9 in / 10 cm; the largest recorded was 7.1 in).
- Water: Freshwater.
- Temperature: 75–82°F (range recorded for this species).
- Layout: Uses both the bottom and open water: give open swimming space plus cover near the substrate.
- Diet: A grazer on plants and algae: base the diet on vegetable foods (algae wafers, blanched vegetables, spirulina). FishBase classes it as a omnivore.
Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.
Care guide
Species care notes
- Tank: a base of at least 47 × 12 in (roughly 29 US gallons); space needed is rated “large tank”.
- Water: a fairly wide range, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, 68–81 °F, pH 6–7.5, 1–12 dGH.
- Behaviour: in a pair; not a community fish.
- Difficulty: Moderate (Seriously Fish rating).
Short excerpts from the species profile:
- Setup: “Ideally a soft, sandy substrate should be used though it is not essential.”
- Diet: “Primarily carnivorous, and apparently feeds mostly on invertebrates and molluscs in nature.”
- Tankmates: “Not recommended for the average community aquarium but can be maintained alongside other fishes in larger set-ups.”
- Breeding: “Biparental bubble nester and apparently very fecund, but we have been unable to obtain precise details to date.”
From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167
Gouramis and labyrinth fish
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Warm, still, vegetated waters. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- Planted, calm tanks with floating plants; they breathe air at the surface, so leave a gap under the lid.
Diet
- Food acceptance is species-specific. Parosphromenus deissneri needs tiny live invertebrate foods and commonly refuses dried foods; a pellet/flake staple cannot cover every labyrinth fish.
Health watch
- Males are territorial; dwarf gourami iridovirus.
Understanding the animal
About this animal
About this animal
This species inhabits shallow, slow-flowing clear-water streams. It can reach a length of 18 centimetres (7.1 in) TL though most are only around 10 centimetres (3.9 in).
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Belontia signata” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174
In the wild
In the wild
From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.1
| Where it lives | Lives in freshwater, in rivers and streams. Uses both the bottom and open water. Inhabits usually slow-flowing, shallow, clear water streams, usually with a pebble or sand substrate. Territorial, usually solitary, juveniles form small schools of 3-5 individuals. Feeds on terrestrial insects and detritus. |
| Water it lives in | Freshwater, 75–82 °F (24–28 °C), depth 0–1 m. |
| Climate | Tropical climate. |
| Wild diet | Grazing on aquatic plants. |
| Behavior to plan for | Breeding: nesters. |
What this means for care
- Keep water within its wild range, 75–82 °F.
Native climate (measured)
Native climate (measured)
| Warm-season highs | about 88°F (up to 92°F in the hottest sampled areas) |
| Cool-season lows | about 71°F (down to 64°F in the coldest sampled areas) |
| Average temperature | 75–82°F across sampled records |
| Relative humidity | 76–79% on average (driest month about 71%) |
| Rainfall | about 2306 mm a year |
Measured at 11 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.
From the sources
From the sources
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Overview | Belontia signata, the Ceylonese combtail, is a species of gourami endemic to Sri Lanka. This species inhabits shallow, slow-flowing clear-water streams. It can reach a length of 18 cm TL though most are only around 10 cm. It is also found in the aquarium trade. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Where it lives | Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase |
| Reproduction | Male builds bubble nest under a leaf, a submerged overhanging rock or sometimes at the surface to hold the eggs. About 500 eggs are spawned. — FishBase |
| Biology | Facultative air-breathing; Inhabits usually slow-flowing, shallow, clear water streams, usually with a pebble or sand substrate. Territorial, usually solitary, juveniles form small schools of 3-5 individuals. Feeds on terrestrial insects and detritus. — FishBase |
Data and studies
The numbers
The numbers
Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.
Adult length
Common length to maximum recorded length. Measured as total length. Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.
Water temperature
Range the species tolerates in nature; aim for the middle.
pH
Water hardness
Minimum tank footprint
Seriously Fish recommends a tank base of at least 47 × 12 in (about 29 US gallons).
Sources for this sheet
- FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
- Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Management of aquarium fish Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Types and features of aquatic systems Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Nutritional diseases of fish Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Seriously Fish — Parosphromenus deissneri Zoo, university or veterinaryAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
More gouramis and bettas
Alfred's Licorice Gourami
Parosphromenus alfredi
Aquarium hobby
Banded gourami
Trichogaster fasciata
Aquarium hobby
Barito Betta
Betta pallifina
Aquarium hobby
Betta hipposideros
Betta hipposideros
Aquarium hobby
Betta stigmosa
Betta stigmosa
Aquarium hobby
Betta uberis
Betta uberis
Aquarium hobby