Ornate paradisefish

{{Short description|Species of fish}}

{{Speciesbox

| image = Malpulutta kretseri.jpg

| status = EN

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn |author=Kotagama, O. |author2=de Alwis Goonatilake, S. |author3=Fernado, M. |date=2019 |title=Malpulutta kretseri |volume=2019 |page=e.T12726A117405689 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T12726A117405689.en |access-date=17 November 2021}}

| taxon = Malpulutta kretseri

| display_parents = 3

| parent_authority = Deraniyagala, 1937

| authority = Deraniyagala, 1937

| range_map = Malpulutta kretseri Map.jpg

| range_map_caption = Red:present, Light red:possibly extinct

}}

The ornate paradisefish (Malpulutta kretseri) or spotted gourami, is a species of gourami endemic to Sri Lanka. It is the only recognized species in its genus.{{FishBase genus |genus=Malpulutta | month = February| year = 2021}}

It inhabits shallow, slow-flowing streams in forested areas shaded with plentiful vegetation near the edges and a substrate covered by leaf litter. It is a carnivore, preying on plankton, fish fry, and the larvae of insects. They can reach a length of {{convert|4|cm|in|abbr=on}}, though most are only around {{convert|2|cm|in|abbr=on}}. This species can also occasionally be found in the aquarium trade,{{FishBase |genus= Malpulutta|species= kretseri| month = February | year = 2014}} where it is reportedly exceedingly shy. The specific name of this fish honours the Sri Lankan lawyer and judge Oswald Leslie De Kretser II.{{cite web | url = http://www.etyfish.org/anabantiformes/ | work = The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database | author1 = Christopher Scharpf | author2 = Kenneth J. Lazara | date = 21 October 2019 | title= Order ANABANTIFORMES: Families ANABANTIDAE, HELOSTOMATIDAE, OSPHRONEMIDAE, CHANNIDAE, NANDIDAE, BADIDAE, and PRISTOLEPIDIDAE | accessdate = 18 December 2019 | publisher = Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara}}