These fish are known as the giant gouramis and are native to rivers, lakes, pools, swamps and floodplains in Southeast Asia, with O. exodon from the Mekong basin, O. laticlavius and O. septemfasciatus from Borneo, while O. goramy is relatively widespread.

[5] Osphronemus appear in the aquarium trade, but they are very long-lived, possibly reaching up to 40 years old,[5] and require a very large tank with a strong filter.

[6] As suggested by their English name, they are by far the largest gouramis, reaching 50–70 cm (20–28 in) in standard length depending on the exact species involved.

[1] Possibly the largest recorded specimen, an O. septemfasciatus caught in Sarawak, was 72.4 cm (28.5 in) in standard length and weighed 20.5 kg (45 lb).

[4] They feed mostly on fruits, seeds, leaves, flowers, bark and roots from land plants, macrophytes and algae, but will also take small animals like insects, worms, crustaceans, fish and amphibians.