Abstract. This study concerns the effect of feeding artificial diets containing varying levels of dietary protein (13%—49%) on the growth of fingerling pearl gourami, Trichogaster leerii (Bleeker, 1852). The growth rate increased significantly with increasing dietary protein content, but it was observed that the increase in growth rate was faster within the 13–32% range than in the 32–49% range. Feed utilization efficiency increased, and protein efficiency decreased, with increasing dietary protein. On the basis of this study, the optimum dietary protein level for T. leerii is between 26 and 36%.