Channa punctata

Channa punctata, the spotted snakehead, is a species of snakehead. It is found in the Indian Subcontinent and nearby areas, ranging across Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Tibet.[2] Its natural habitats are swamps, ponds and brackish water systems.[2] It is a fish of high food value and has little value as aquarium fish.

Spotted snakehead
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Anabantiformes
Family: Channidae
Genus: Channa
Species:
C. punctata
Binomial name
Channa punctata
(Bloch, 1793)
Synonyms[2]
  • Ophicephalus punctatus Bloch, 1793
  • Ophicephalus karruwey Lacépède, 1801
  • Ophiocephalus lata Hamilton, 1822
  • Ophicephalus indicus McClelland, 1842
  • Ophiocephalus affinis Günther, 1861

Description

Channa punctatus normally grows to around 15.0 cm (5.9 in) in length, but males up to 31.0 cm (12.2 in) have also been captured.[2] The spotted snakehead is listed as Least Concern in IUCN, due to lack of major threats to this species populations.[1]

The species is mainly a carnivore. Favorite food of this species is other small fishes yolk flies and fish larvae. In its natural habitat, it consumes crustaceans, molluscs, insects, small fishes, semi-digested materials and sometimes plants. Its feeding habit changes seasonally. The intensity of feeding is low in mature fishes during the spawning period. Juvenile fish has constant habit of food.[3]

References
  1. Chaudhry, S.; de Alwis Goonatilake, S.; Fernado, M. & Kotagama, O. (2019). "SPOTTED SNAKEHEAD". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T166437A60584432. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
  2. Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2014). Channa punctata in FishBase. February 2014 version.
  3. AS Bhuiyan, S Afroz, T Zaman (2006). "Bhuiyan, A.S., Afroz, S. and Zaman, T., 2006. Food and feeding habit of the juvenile and adult snake head, Channa punctatus (Bloch)". J. Life Earth Sci. 1 (2): 53–54.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)


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