# Are Gouramis a type of Cichlid?



## WPFix

Hello, my fiancé recently bought me a firemouth cichlid, and is telling me it was labeled as a firemouth gourami at Pet Supply Co. She is saying it is a gourami, while I am saying it is a cichlid. She is also saying that a gourami is a type of cichlid while I disagree. Can someone help us settle this?


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## ionix

No, I have researched in depth into Gouramis, and there has never been a mention of being in any relation to the cichlid families. Though, she may have gotten her fish mixed.. angelfish are cichlids too. But other than that weird one, nothing really.

They are more closely related to bettas, as they both breathe air from the atmosphere, where I don't know of any cichlid whom can. They need to diffuse oxygen through certain internal organs, so they may stay underwater but their gills are only able to supplement (extend their period underwater).

FYI, most generic pet stores (including some specialty stores) are completely unreliable lol.


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## coralbandit

The firemouth is a cichlid(an aggressive one).Gouramis are a different species which ionix correctly stated the greatest difference.The labarynth.Gouramis have developed their inner ear into a oxygen breathing "lung" and can (need) to breath oxygen from the surface.They have developed this due to the enviroment they are most common to in nature;slow moving low oxygenated waterbodies.And like ionix said ,unfotunately many pet/fish stores don't know a whole lot about what they supposedly "specialse" in.


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