Some work indicates that the species should be split into three geographical clades or cryptic species, although these were not given nomenclatural names, as the taxonomic synonymy was too complex to sort out at the time. The populations in the Ryukyus are distinct, the populations in China and Japan belong to another clade, and the rest, the original "M. albus", belong to the third group. Although these groups are too phenotypically similar to tell apart morphologically, they exhibit different brooding behaviours. In the Japanese/Chinese form, the males wait until the fertilised eggs hatch in their foam nests, and then keep the larvae in their mouths until they can breathe their own air. The Ryukyuan populations also make foam nests, but do not keep the larvae in the somewhat narrow buccal cavities in their mouths. The most widespread clade does not make foam nests, but lays the eggs among the roots of floating plants, and shows no parental care. Larvae use their pectoral fins to increase water flow and thus oxygen intake across their skin. This last form shows the most genetic diversity and may belong to numerous cryptic species. This form is also the type that has been introduced to the USA.