Kuhli loach vs Javan kuhli loach
Two banded Pangio are sold as 'kuhli loach'. Which one is in the tank, and does the answer change anything?
Short answer
The one in the tank is almost certainly Pangio semicincta. The separating feature is whether the dark bands close around the underside — they do in P. kuhlii and stop part-way down the flank in P. semicincta — which means it can only be checked from below. The husbandry is effectively identical, so this is a naming problem rather than a welfare one.
Side by side
| Dimension | Kuhli loach | Javan kuhli loach | Favours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bands seen from underneath | Close completely around the belly | Stop part-way down the flank | — |
| How often it is actually in the shop | Genuinely uncommon | The great majority of 'kuhli loaches' | Javan kuhli loach |
| Adult size | 8–11 cm | 7–10 cm | — |
| Substrate | Fine sand | Fine sand | — |
| Minimum group | 6 | 6 | — |
| Temperature | 24–30 °C | 23–28 °C | — |
Which to choose
Kuhli loach
Choose P. kuhlii only if a supplier can evidence the identification. Taking a shop label as evidence is what produced the confusion in the first place.
Javan kuhli loach
Choose the Javan kuhli if you want the fish you are going to get anyway. It is the species the hobby's accumulated experience is actually about.
One caveat
Both are sold alongside plain brown Pangio under names such as 'black kuhli', which are different species again. Anything eel-shaped and banded in a shop tank should be treated as an unidentified Pangio until it is looked at properly.