My emperor snakehead (Channa marulioides)

[tokyogasmask]

Lovely Marulioides.

One question though. Does a blue variant exist with Channa Marulius? Just asking, as I'm trying to find as many ways to differentiate Marulius and Marulioides as possible. Which isn't much from what I've read up on.

It is easy to differentiate the two.
The markings on a younger Marulius are more like blotches, the Marulioides are like vertical bars.

Also, the Marulius will almost always appear to have a vertical black bar going through the eyes.

 

[AU_Arowana-RG]

Will these differences be blaringly evident within 3-5 inch individuals?

 

[King-eL]

Lovely Marulioides.

One question though. Does a blue variant exist with Channa Marulius? Just asking, as I'm trying to find as many ways to differentiate Marulius and Marulioides as possible. Which isn't much from what I've read up on.

Thanks! It easy to tell apart marulius from marulioides. As far as I know there are only two color variant pf marulioides, the blue and the yellow specs. Marulius however is still questionable.

Here are some of the Marulius variant
Channa marulius grandinosa
Channa marulius sp. salween
Channa marulius aurolineatus
Channa marulius marulius
Channa pseudomarulius

 

[King-eL]

Will these differences be blaringly evident within 3-5 inch individuals?

If they came from the same parent, they will all look the same.

 

[AU_Arowana-RG]

Well, I was more referring to differences between a Marulius and a Marulioides at those sizes. Aiming at getting a 3 or 5 inch Marulioides in the forseeable future and I don't want to accidentally grab a Marulius.

 

[JTDragon]

Hi King-eL, do blue Emperors get bigger than the regular Emperors?

 

[King-eL]

Hi King-eL, do blue Emperors get bigger than the regular Emperors?

They get the same size but I noticed blue variants grows faster.

 

[tokyogasmask]

Will these differences be blaringly evident within 3-5 inch individuals?

IMO yes.

Here is a picture of my old Marulius @ 4-5". Note the rounded blotches on it's flank, and the dark vertical marking through the eye:

Here is a picture of one of my Marulioides (blue) at the same size: (lacking the eye mark, and more vertical stripe marking)

Other things I noticed (these could vary though) The head shapes are slightly different, the Marulius tends to look more "slender", the eye marking on the caudal fin of the Marulius is much stronger and the Marulius have lots of white speckleing around the markings and dorsal fins at an earlier age.

Hope that helps.
Seems every time I offer advice on Channa, I get a battering from people on this site! (see the Micropeltes/arowana thread in the main snakeheads forum to see what I mean. Tends to be the same people)
So I tend to hold off giving it!

 

[King-eL]

TGM got it covered. Also the Indian marulius variant will kinda look like marulioides in terms of head shape but patterns will give the difference.

 

[JTDragon]

Interesting, thanks for the info. Wow they look cute when they are small!