Channa gachua
| Channa gachua | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Anabantiformes |
| Family: | Channidae |
| Genus: | Channa |
| Species: | C. gachua
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| Binomial name | |
| Channa gachua (F. Hamilton, 1822)
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| Range map | |
Channa gachua, the dwarf snakehead, is a species of fish in the family Channidae, the snakeheads. It is native to Asia, where it has a wide distribution from Afghanistan to the Middle East to Indonesia. This fish is considered to be a species complex, a group of several closely related taxa with one name. It is likely at least 3 to 4 different species, and further research may differentiate them.[1] The newer species Channa harcourtbutleri was separated from the complex in 1999.[2]
Discription
This species can reach 28 centimeters in length, but most individuals are much smaller, just a few centimeters long.[3] It feeds on small fish, insects, and crustaceans. It is a mouthbrooder, with the male brooding the eggs and juveniles in his mouth.[3] Males have more-extended dorsal and anal fins than females, and develop more intense color pattern.[4]
Distribution
The species was recorded from Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Viet Nam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore.[5] This is a common fish found in most any type of wetland.[1] It can live in large rivers or small brooks and creeks, in fast currents or stagnant waters, and in altered waterways such as canals.[3] It lives in rice paddies.[6]
Value
This fish is caught for food in many parts of Asia.[1] This is one of several Channa known as dwarf snakeheads, smaller species kept in aquaria. It is also valued for its attractive coloration.[7] This species has been studied for use in aquaculture operations.[7]
References
- ^ a b c d Chaudhry, S. 2010. Channa gachua. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2010. Downloaded on 04 October 2017.
- ^ Ng, H. H., P. K. Ng, and R. Britz. (1999). Channa harcourtbutleri (Annandale, 1918): a valid species of snakehead (Perciformes: Channidae) from Myanmar. Journal of South Asian Natural History 4(1): 57-63.
- ^ a b c Froese, R. and D. Pauly, Eds. Channa gachua. FishBase. 2017.
- ^ "Channa gachua – Dwarf Snakehead (Channa limbata, Ophicephalus gachua)". Seriously Fish. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
- ^ "Least Snakehead - Channa gachua - Details - Encyclopedia of Life". Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
- ^ Silva, K. (1991). Population ecology of the paddy field‐dwelling fish Channa gachua (Günther) (Perciformes, Channidae) in Sri Lanka. Journal of fish biology, 38(4), 497-508.
- ^ a b Milton, J., et al. (2017). Ovarian development and histological observations of threatened dwarf snakehead fish, Channa gachua (Hamilton, 1822). Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences. In Press.
External links
- Channa gachua. World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS).
