Khuli Loaches -- Greenish Tint

[mikev]

During the today's inspection of the fish, we have noticed that one of the khulis developed a green tint on its bottom. The fish was kind enough to show its stomach so I can describe the green area: it is symmetric, from about the 3rd ring to about the 8th, and it excludes the very bottom of fish: there is about 2mm area of normal color along the center of the fish (I assume that fish do have two "egg-holding" areas, so this makes sense). There are no irregularities (no green dots) and the green area does not appear "bloated". Whatever this is, it is recent, since I do look at khulis in this tank often enough. Yeah, the fish is fat too, but not the fattest/biggest khuli here.

Basically, the picture is not inconsistent with the one on loaches.com,
http/www.loaches.com/species_images/kuhli_eggs.jpg
except that the tint I see is weaker. I did not try taking pictures since I don't think the tint will show clearly at this time.

OK, now let me show my total ignorance ...

I don't think I understand how the reproduction process works. If it is eggs indeed, are they fertilized or not already? The importance is that if they are fertilized, I should remove her soon enough (that is if I can catch her...questionable) to another tank, because the one she is in right now is full of always hungry fish ... But, if the fertilization is something that would happen only when the eggs are released, I should keep her where she is and watch. (Obviously, I cannot remove her together with the male, since I don't know who is the male...)

This is probably a what-if question, but at least the green tint is real... Hopefully, at the very least it identifies this fish as a female...

 

[dwarfgourami]

During the today's inspection of the fish, we have noticed that one of the khulis developed a green tint on its bottom. The fish was kind enough to show its stomach so I can describe the green area: it is symmetric, from about the 3rd ring to about the 8th, and it excludes the very bottom of fish: there is about 2mm area of normal color along the center of the fish (I assume that fish do have two "egg-holding" areas, so this makes sense). There are no irregularities (no green dots) and the green area does not appear "bloated". Whatever this is, it is recent, since I do look at khulis in this tank often enough. Yeah, the fish is fat too, but not the fattest/biggest khuli here.

Basically, the picture is not inconsistent with the one on loaches.com,
http/www.loaches.com/species_images/kuhli_eggs.jpg
except that the tint I see is weaker. I did not try taking pictures since I don't think the tint will show clearly at this time.

OK, now let me show my total ignorance ...

I don't think I understand how the reproduction process works. If it is eggs indeed, are they fertilized or not already? The importance is that if they are fertilized, I should remove her soon enough (that is if I can catch her...questionable) to another tank, because the one she is in right now is full of always hungry fish ... But, if the fertilization is something that would happen only when the eggs are released, I should keep her where she is and watch. (Obviously, I cannot remove her together with the male, since I don't know who is the male...)

This is probably a what-if question, but at least the green tint is real... Hopefully, at the very least it identifies this fish as a female...

Those eggs will not be fertilised. Little is known about khuulie reproduction, but I have never seen it suggested that they practise internal fertilisation. As far as I know, they would be fertilised while the spawning is going on. (Some female catfish are thought to swallow the male's sperm and pass it down her stomach to the eggs held in a clutch, but this is while the eggs are actually being laid.)

 

[BettaUK]

Found this on breeding:

Khuli Loaches lay green eggs and have been bred in captivity, they will lay their eggs on floating water plants, water sprite is a good breeding plant for them. The true khulis have around 14-20 bands along their body and the real kuhli loach, Acanthophthalmus kuhlii , is a 3.5 inch fish from Indonesia, Sumatra, Java, Malaya and Thailand.

HTH

Lawrence (BettaUK)

 

[mikev]

Thank you for the comments.

Still totally unsure what is the right thing to do: should I try to catch her and move her to a suitable tank with a couple of possible males or just let thngs continue so I can perhaps identify males?

(Nothing good can happen in the tank she is in: it is unplanted and has both other loaches and danios always looking for food. Even if spawning happens and I catch it, I don't think I will be able to do anything)

(I made a half-hearted effort to catch her today... whatever is happening with her clearly did not slow her down much...)

---

And, no, she is not a true khuli, she is a Myers loach (11 bands, about 3in). Out of the nice in the tank, seven are Myers, and two may be something else (but not true either). Still, green eggs apply, in fact loaches.com pictures show Myers' loaches too.