| Luciocephalus pulcher | |
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| Luciocephalus pulcher | |
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Not evaluated (IUCN 3.1)
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Osphronemidae |
| Subfamily: | Luciocephalinae |
| Genus: | Luciocephalus |
| Species: | L. pulcher |
| Binomial name | |
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Luciocephalus pulcher (J. E. Gray, 1830) |
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| Synonyms | |
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Luciocephalus pulcher, the pikehead, is a species of gourami native to the Malaya Peninsula, Sumatra, and Borneo. It inhabits flooded forests, streams, and peat swamps living in areas with plentiful vegetation. It is a predator and lurks for its prey among plants near the water's surface. As the prey is swallowed, the jaw extends to about one-third of the head length. the extended jaw is folded back into place. It is a mouthbrooder. It is a yellowish-brown color with dark brown longitudinal bands and stripes. This species can reach a length of 20 centimetres (7.9 in) SL. It can also be found in the aquarium trade, where it is notoriously difficult to keep; they require extremely soft, acidic water and seldom eat non living foods.