This species is named for its dark brown coloration which is offset by several vertical gold bands. Chocolate Gouramis are one of the smaller species of Gourami and there are several variants including the Giant Chocolate Gourami, Vaillant’s Chocolate Gourami and the Crossband Chocolate Gourami. These fish are one of the most widely distributed species of Gourami, native to portions of the Malay Peninsula as well as the islands of Borneo and Sumatra. Chocolate Gouramis typically inhabit peat swamps and blackwater swamps but have also been found in some thickly-vegetated clear water environments.