Blue Gourami With Strange Markings

[smmetz]

Yesterday I made a trip over an hour to get to a lfs I found on the web. It looked like it was better in quality, variety, and general employee knowledge then places closer to me. Anyway, I pickd up a couple blue gourami. They had some weird markings, but I was assured that they are fine, and it's nothing to worry about. In fact, the employee was saying how nice the markings are. Normally they have 2 spots on them, one in the middle, one near the base of the tail. These have big splotches though. They don't appear to be sick fish. The black marking are not raised.

Anyway, can someone comment if they have seen this before, or if you think this is normal or abnormal?

I got 2 fish like this. There was one other blue and several gold gourami in the tank(at the store) which had the typical 2 spots. The fish is about 3-4 inches long.

(sorry for the pic quality)

Thanks!

 

[Amerce]

Had a blue with markings like that, I always thought it was normal and she lived a healthy long life with me.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

yeah i had blues with markings like that too who lived for nearly 5 years. not a problem at all

 

[HooleyHoop]

I have two as well which are doing great

 

[gourami_fan]

Actually that might not be a blue gourami, but instead it could be an opaline gourami. I can't tell for sure, but just a thought.

 

[Bubblenester]

That is a variation of the blue gourami called an "opaline" gourami. They're the same species; they've just been bred for a different pattern. Perfectly healthy, and they can be very pretty

 

[Momma of 2]

My gold and blue gourami all have these same dark (almost striped) spots. I think he's probably just fine.

Edit ~ I just got a picture of B Cubed to show you mine looks the same

 

[starsatnight]

my two male "blues" will at times take on opaline colourings. most often at feeding, when new fish have been introduced or when they square-off for territory. they present with black patches and tiger stripes that will fade away and then they become traditional blue 3-spots again. i guess they have a shared identity crisis! i've had them over a year now and they are growing by leaps and bounds...