genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of predatory
fish
Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...
in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
Channidae
The snakeheads are members of the freshwater perciform fish family Channidae, native to parts of Africa and Asia. These elongated, predatory fish are distinguished by their long dorsal fins, large mouths, and shiny teeth. They breathe air with ...
, commonly known as snakeheads, native to freshwater habitats in Asia. This genus contains about 50
scientifically described
A species description is a formal description of a newly discovered species, usually in the form of a scientific paper. Its purpose is to give a clear description of a new species of organism and explain how it differs from species that have be ...
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
. The genus has a wide natural distribution extending from
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
in the west, to Indonesia and China in the east, and parts of
Siberia
Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part of ...
in the
Far East
The ''Far East'' was a European term to refer to the geographical regions that includes East and Southeast Asia as well as the Russian Far East to a lesser extent. South Asia is sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.
The ter ...
Myanmar
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...
(Burma) and northeastern India, and many ''Channa'' species live nowhere else. In contrast, a few widespread species have been introduced to several regions outside their natural range, where they often become invasive. The large and medium-sized ''Channa'' species are among the most common staple
food fish
Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is ing ...
in several Asian countries, and they are extensively cultured.Kumar, K., R. Kumar, S. Saurabh, M. Sahoo, A.K. Mohanty, P.L. Lalrinsanga, U.L. Mohanty and P. Jayasankar (2012). Snakehead Fishes: Fact Sheets. Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture, Bhubaneswar. Apart from their importance as a food fish, snakeheads are consumed in some regions as a
traditional medicine
Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the ...
for wound healing and reducing postoperative pain and discomfort, and collected for the international aquarium pet trade.PracticalFishkeeping (13 June 2016) Quick Guide to Snakeheads Retrieved 12 February 2019.
All snakeheads are highly predatory, and the diets of the various species of ''Channa'' include fish, amphibians (like frogs), snakes, rodents, birds, and invertebrates (insects and crustaceans). They have a
labyrinth organ
The Anabantoidei are a suborder of anabantiform ray-finned freshwater fish distinguished by their possession of a lung-like labyrinth organ, which enables them to breathe air. The fish in the Anabantoidei suborder are known as anabantoids or lab ...
, which allows them to breathe air for short periods, and they use this adaptation to travel across land in the event that their habitat becomes inhospitable. They are mostly solitary or live in
monogamous
Monogamy ( ) is a form of Dyad (sociology), dyadic Intimate relationship, relationship in which an individual has only one Significant other, partner during their lifetime. Alternately, only one partner at any one time (Monogamy#Serial monogamy, ...
pairs that are highly aggressive towards outsiders of their own species, but ''C. pleurophthalma'' often occurs in small groups. Larger species are mostly nestbrooding (making a nest of vegetation at the water surface), and the dwarfs mostly paternal
mouthbrooding
Mouthbrooding, also known as oral incubation and buccal incubation, is the care given by some groups of animals to their offspring by holding them in the mouth of the parent for extended periods of time. Although mouthbrooding is performed by a va ...
, but exceptions occur; the large '' C. barca'' is a paternal mouthbrooder and the dwarf ''C. bleheri'' is a free-spawner (the eggs float to the surface where the parents take care of them, but they do not mouthbrood or built a nest).
Taxonomy
The taxonomy of the genus ''Channa'' is incomplete, and a comprehensive revision of the family has not been performed. A
phylogenetic
In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek φυλή/ φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups o ...
study in 2010 has indicated the likelihood of the existence of
undescribed species
In taxonomy, an undescribed taxon is a taxon (for example, a species) that has been discovered, but not yet formally described and named. The various Nomenclature Codes specify the requirements for a new taxon to be validly described and named. U ...
Parachanna
''Parachanna'' is a genus of snakeheads native to freshwater habitats in tropical Africa. Three recognized extant (living) species are in this genus, but a phylogenetic study from 2017 indicates that a fourth, currently undescribed species also ...
'' in Africa).Conte-Grand, C., Britz, R., Dahanukar, N., Raghavan, R., Pethi-yagoda, R., Tan, H.H., Hadiaty, R.K., Yaakob, N.S. & Rüber, L. (2017). Barcoding snakeheads (Teleostei, Channidae) re-visited: Discovering greater species diversity and resolving perpetuated taxonomic confusions. PLoS ONE, 12 (9): e0184017. In 2011, the Malabar snakehead ''Channa diplogramma'' from peninsular India was shown to be a distinct species, 146 years after its initial description and 134 years after it was synonymised with ''C. micropeltes'', establishing it is an endemic species of peninsular India. The study also suggested that the species shared a most recent common ancestor with ''C. micropeltes'', around 9.52 to 21.76 MYA.Benziger, A., Philip, S., Raghavan, R., Ali, P.H.A., Sukumaran, M., Tharian, J.C., Dahanukar, N., Baby, F., Peter, R., Rema Devi, K., Radhakrishnan, K.V., Haniffa, M.A., Britz, R. & Antunes, A. (2011) Unraveling a 146 Years Old Taxonomic Puzzle: Validation of Malabar Snakehead, Species-Status and Its Relevance for Channid Systematics and Evolution. ''PLoS ONE, 6 (6): e21272.''Li, X., Musikasinthorn, P. & Kumazawa, Y. (2006): Molecular phylogenetic analyses of snakeheads (Perciformes: Channidae) using mitochondrial DNA sequences. ''Ichthyological Research, 53 (2): 148-159.''
Species
Currently, 51 recognized species are placed in this genus:
* ''
Channa amari
''Channa'' is a genus of predatory fish in the family Channidae, commonly known as snakeheads, native to freshwater habitats in Asia. This genus contains about 50 scientifically described species. The genus has a wide natural distribution extend ...
''
Dey
Dey (Arabic: داي), from the Turkish honorific title ''dayı'', literally meaning uncle, was the title given to the rulers of the Regency of Algiers (Algeria), Tripoli,Bertarelli (1929), p. 203. and Tunis under the Ottoman Empire from 1671 o ...
McClelland McClelland is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Alyssa McClelland, Australian actress
* Charles A. McClelland (1917–2006), American political systems analyst
* Charles P. McClelland (1854–1944), New York politician, and US ...
, 1845) (Borna snakehead)
* ''
Channa andrao
Channa andrao is a species of snakehead, a fish of the family Channidae. Its range includes India in Asia. It is described in 2013 by Ralf Britz
Ralph (pronounced ; or ,) is a male given name of English, Scottish and Irish origin, derived f ...
''
Britz
Britz () is a German locality (''Ortsteil'') within the Berlin borough (''Bezirk'') of Neukölln.
History
The village of ''Britzig'' was first mentioned in 1273. It was incorporated by the 1920 Greater Berlin Act. It is known for being the sit ...
, 2013Britz, R. (2013): ''Channa andrao'', a new species of dwarf snakehead from West Bengal, India (Teleostei: Channidae). ''Zootaxa, 3731 (2): 287–294.''
* ''
Channa argus
The northern snakehead (''Channa argus'') is a species of snakehead fish native to China, Russia, North Korea, and South Korea, ranging from the Amur River to Hainan. It has been introduced to other regions, where it is considered invasive. In ...
'' (
Cantor
A cantor or chanter is a person who leads people in singing or sometimes in prayer. In formal Jewish worship, a cantor is a person who sings solo verses or passages to which the choir or congregation responds.
In Judaism, a cantor sings and lead ...
Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the ...
, 1758) (small snakehead)
* ''
Channa aurantimaculata
The orange-spotted snakehead (''Channa aurantimaculata'') is a species of snakehead fish. Its body is of brownish colour intermixed with vertical orange stripes. Males have taller dorsal fins with more intense coloration, and narrower heads. It ...
Channa aurantipectoralis
''Channa'' is a genus of predatory fish in the family Channidae, commonly known as snakeheads, native to freshwater habitats in Asia. This genus contains about 50 scientifically described species. The genus has a wide natural distribution extend ...
'' Lalhlimpuia, Lalronunga & Lalramliana, 2016Lalhlimpuia, D.v., Lalronunga, S. & Lalramliana (2016): ''Channa aurantipectoralis'', a new species of snakehead from Mizoram, north-eastern India (Teleostei: Channidae). ''Zootaxa, 4147 (3): 343-350.''
* ''
Channa auroflammea
''Channa auroflammea'' is a species of snakehead, a fish of the family Channidae. Its range includes Mekong River. It was previously lumped with '' C. marulius, C. cf. marulius'', or'' C. aff. marulius'', but can be distinguished within the gro ...
'' Adamson, Britz and S. Lieng, 2019
* ''
Channa aurolineata
''Channa aurolineata'' is a species of Asian snakehead in the family Channidae. It is found natively in most of Myanmar's waterways as well as the Mae Khlong drainage in Thailand. There is also an invasive population found in Southeast Florida ...
Channa bankanensis
''Channa'' is a genus of predatory fish in the family Channidae, commonly known as snakeheads, native to freshwater habitats in Asia. This genus contains about 50 scientifically described species. The genus has a wide natural distribution exte ...
'' (
Bleeker Bleeker is a Dutch occupational surname. Bleeker is an old spelling of ''(linnen)bleker'' ("linen bleacher").Channa baramensis'' ( Steindachner, 1901)
* ''
Channa barca
The Barca snakehead (''Channa barca'') is a rare species of Snakehead (fish), snakehead. It is Endemism, endemic to the upper Brahmaputra river basin in northeastern India and Bangladesh. Records from Nepal are of doubtful validity. Overall it ...
Channa bipuli
''Channa'' is a genus of predatory fish in the family Channidae, commonly known as snakeheads, native to freshwater habitats in Asia. This genus contains about 50 scientifically described species. The genus has a wide natural distribution extend ...
Uma
Parvati ( sa, पार्वती, ), Uma ( sa, उमा, ) or Gauri ( sa, गौरी, ) is the Hindu goddess of power, energy, nourishment, harmony, love, beauty, devotion, and motherhood. She is a physical representation of Mahadevi in ...
Channa bleheri
''Channa bleheri'' (the rainbow snakehead) is a species of dwarf snakehead that is endemic to the Brahmaputra River basin in the Indian states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.SeriouslyFishChanna bleheri Retrieved 11 February 2019. It is among the ...
Channa brahmacharyi
''Channa'' is a genus of predatory fish in the family Channidae, commonly known as snakeheads, native to freshwater habitats in Asia. This genus contains about 50 scientifically described species. The genus has a wide natural distribution extend ...
''
Chakraborty
Chakraborty is a surname of Bengali Hindus of India and Bangladesh, the surname is used by people of the Bengali Brahmin community.
Notable persons with this surname
Male
*Ajay Chakraborty (born 1943), Indian politician
*Ajoy Chakrabarty (born 1 ...
Mukherjee
Mukherjee, Mukerjee, Mookerjee, Mukerji, Mukherji, Mukhujje or Mookherjee is a Kulin Brahmin surname of the Hindu Religion, common among residents of the Indian state of West Bengal. The traditional Bengali version is ''Mukhopaddhae'', which is ...
Channa cyanospilos
''Channa cyanospilos'', commonly known as the bluespotted snakehead, is a species of fish in the family Snakehead (fish), Channidae. It has a maximum length of about 20 cm. It is usually found in clear rivers and in black water areas. It is nativ ...
'' (
Bleeker Bleeker is a Dutch occupational surname. Bleeker is an old spelling of ''(linnen)bleker'' ("linen bleacher").Channa diplogramma
The Malabar snakehead (''Channa diplogramma'') is a vulnerable species of snakehead from fresh water in the Western Ghats in India. Until 2011, its scientific name was usually considered to be a synonym of '' C. micropeltes'', the giant snakeh ...
Channa gachua
''Channa gachua'', the dwarf snakehead, is a species of fish in the family Channidae. The name "dwarf snakehead" is also used for several other species of small snakeheads. ''C. gachua'' is native to freshwater habitats in southern Asia, where i ...
Channa harcourtbutleri
''Channa harcourtbutleri'', the Burmese snakehead, is a species of Channidae, snakehead endemism, endemic to Inle Lake and surroundings in Myanmar. Locally called ''nga ohn-ma'', among aquarists it is considered one of the dwarf snakeheads, but ...
Channa kelaartii
''Channa'' is a genus of predatory fish in the family Channidae, commonly known as snakeheads, native to freshwater habitats in Asia. This genus contains about 50 scientifically described species. The genus has a wide natural distribution extend ...
'' (Günther, 1861)
* ''
Channa limbata
''Channa'' is a genus of predatory fish in the family Channidae, commonly known as snakeheads, native to freshwater habitats in Asia. This genus contains about 50 scientifically described species. The genus has a wide natural distribution extend ...
'' (Cuvier, 1831)
* ''
Channa lipor
''Channa'' is a genus of predatory fish in the family Channidae, commonly known as snakeheads, native to freshwater habitats in Asia. This genus contains about 50 scientifically described species. The genus has a wide natural distribution extend ...
Channa longistomata
''Channa'' is a genus of predatory fish in the family Channidae, commonly known as snakeheads, native to freshwater habitats in Asia. This genus contains about 50 scientifically described species. The genus has a wide natural distribution extend ...
'' (Nguyen & Nguyen, 2012)
* ''
Channa lucius
The forest snakehead (''Channa lucius'') is a species of snakehead, a fish of the family Channidae. Its range includes most of Southeast Asia and parts of southern China. It lives in forest streams and can reach in length. The forest snakehead ...
Bleeker Bleeker is a Dutch occupational surname. Bleeker is an old spelling of ''(linnen)bleker'' ("linen bleacher").Channa marulius
''Channa marulius'' (bullseye snakehead or great snakehead) is a large species of snakehead native to South Asia. Populations in Southeast Asia are now regarded as separate species.Adamson, E. A. S. and R. Britz (2018). The snakehead fish Channa ...
'' (F. Hamilton, 1822) (great snakehead)
* ''
Channa melanoptera
''Channa'' is a genus of predatory fish in the Family (biology), family Channidae, commonly known as snakeheads, native to freshwater habitats in Asia. This genus contains about 50 Binomial nomenclature, scientifically described species. The gen ...
'' (Bleeker, 1855)
* '' Channa melanostigma'' Geetakumari & Vishwanath, 2011Geetakumari, K. & Vishwanath, W. (2011): ''Channa melanostigma'', a new species of freshwater snakehead from north-east India (Teleostei: Channidae). ''Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 107 (3): 231-235.''
* ''
Channa melasoma
The black snakehead (''Channa melasoma'') is a species of snakehead (fish), snakehead native to Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Singapore. This commercially important species reaches a length of . The Black Snakehead inhabits lar ...
'' (
Bleeker Bleeker is a Dutch occupational surname. Bleeker is an old spelling of ''(linnen)bleker'' ("linen bleacher").Channa micropeltes
''Channa micropeltes'', giant snakehead, giant mudfish or toman harimau, is among the largest species in the family Channidae, capable of growing to in length and a weight of . It is native to the fresh waters of Southeast Asia (South Indian popu ...
'' (
G. Cuvier
Jean Léopold Nicolas Frédéric, Baron Cuvier (; 23 August 1769 – 13 May 1832), known as Georges Cuvier, was a French naturalist and zoologist, sometimes referred to as the "founding father of paleontology". Cuvier was a major figure in nat ...
, 1831) (giant snakehead)
* ''
Channa ninhbinhensis
''Channa'' is a genus of predatory fish in the family Channidae, commonly known as snakeheads, native to freshwater habitats in Asia. This genus contains about 50 scientifically described species. The genus has a wide natural distribution extend ...
'' V. H. Nguyễn, 2011Nguyen, V.H. (2011): Two new species belong to genus ''Channa'' (Channidae, Perciformes) discovered in Ninh Binh province, Vietnam. ''Vietnam Journal of Biology, 33 (4): 8-17.''
* '' Channa nox'' C. G. Zhang, Musikasinthorn &
Watanabe
Watanabe ( and other variantsSee #Miscellaneous) is a Japanese surname derived from the noble and samurai Watanabe clan, a branch of the Minamoto clan, descending from the Emperor Saga (786-842), the 52nd Emperor of Japan, and refers to a loca ...
, 2002 (night snakehead)
* ''
Channa orientalis
The Ceylon snakehead (''Channa orientalis'') is a species of snakehead found in freshwater habitats, typically shaded streams, in southwestern Sri Lanka (although occasionally claimed to occur in other countries, this is misidentifications of r ...
''
Bloch Bloch is a surname of German origin. Notable people with this surname include:
A–F
* (1859-1914), French rabbi
*Adele Bloch-Bauer (1881-1925), Austrian entrepreneur
*Albert Bloch (1882–1961), American painter
* (born 1972), German motor journal ...
Channa ornatipinnis
''Channa ornatipinnis'' is a freshwater species of snakehead, a fish of the family Channidae
The snakeheads are members of the freshwater perciform fish family Channidae, native to parts of Africa and Asia. These elongated, predatory fish a ...
''
Britz
Britz () is a German locality (''Ortsteil'') within the Berlin borough (''Bezirk'') of Neukölln.
History
The village of ''Britzig'' was first mentioned in 1273. It was incorporated by the 1920 Greater Berlin Act. It is known for being the sit ...
Channa pardalis
''Channa pardalis'' is a species of dwarf snakehead in the genus ''Channa''. It was first described in 2016 from Khasi Hills, Meghalaya of northeastern India. Prior to its scientific description, it was known as ''Channa'' sp. "True Blue" or ''Ch ...
''
Knight
A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...
, 2016Knight, J.D.M. (2016): ''Channa pardalis'', a new species of snakehead (Teleostei: Channidae) from Meghalaya, northeastern India. ''Journal of Threatened Taxa, 8 (3): 8583-8589.''
* ''
Channa pleurophthalma
''Channa pleurophthalma'', the ocellated snakehead is a species of Southeast Asian freshwater fish in the snakehead family.
Description
''Channa pleurophthalma'' can reach a length of about . The body is cylindrical, laterally flattened and has ...
Britz
Britz () is a German locality (''Ortsteil'') within the Berlin borough (''Bezirk'') of Neukölln.
History
The village of ''Britzig'' was first mentioned in 1273. It was incorporated by the 1920 Greater Berlin Act. It is known for being the sit ...
, 2007
* ''
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
Tibet (; '' ...
'' (
Bloch Bloch is a surname of German origin. Notable people with this surname include:
A–F
* (1859-1914), French rabbi
*Adele Bloch-Bauer (1881-1925), Austrian entrepreneur
*Albert Bloch (1882–1961), American painter
* (born 1972), German motor journal ...
, 1793) (spotted snakehead)
* ''
Channa quinquefasciata
''Channa'' is a genus of predatory fish in the family Channidae, commonly known as snakeheads, native to freshwater habitats in Asia. This genus contains about 50 scientifically described species. The genus has a wide natural distribution extend ...
'' Praveenraj et al., 2018
*''
Channa rara
''Channa'' is a genus of predatory fish in the family Channidae, commonly known as snakeheads, native to freshwater habitats in Asia. This genus contains about 50 scientifically described species. The genus has a wide natural distribution extend ...
'' Britz ''et al.'', 2019
*''
Channa royi
''Channa royi'', the Andaman emerald snakehead, is a species of snakehead fish endemic to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India. This dwarf snakehead is distinct from other snakehead species due to its differing coloration, number of vertebra ...
'' Praveenraj ''et al.'', 2018 (Andaman emerald snakehead) — likely a synonym of ''C. harcourtbutleri''
* ''
Channa shingon
''Channa'' is a genus of predatory fish in the family Channidae, commonly known as snakeheads, native to freshwater habitats in Asia. This genus contains about 50 scientifically described species. The genus has a wide natural distribution extend ...
'' M. Endruweit, 2017)
* ''
Channa stewartii
''Channa stewartii'' is a species of dwarf snakehead in the family Channidae, which is native to Nepal and the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura. It may also be found in Bangladesh. This freshwate ...
Channa stiktos
''Channa'' is a genus of predatory fish in the family Channidae, commonly known as snakeheads, native to freshwater habitats in Asia. This genus contains about 50 scientifically described species. The genus has a wide natural distribution exte ...
Channa striata
''Channa striata'', the striped snakehead, is a species of snakehead fish. It is also known as the common snakehead, chevron snakehead, or snakehead murrel and generally referred simply as mudfish. It is native to South and Southeast Asia, and h ...
'' (Bloch, 1793) (striped snakehead)
* ''
Channa torsaensis
''Channa'' is a genus of predatory fish in the family Channidae, commonly known as snakeheads, native to freshwater habitats in Asia. This genus contains about 50 scientifically described species. The genus has a wide natural distribution extend ...
'' Dey, Nur, Raychowdhury, Sarkar, Singh & Barat, 2018 (cobalt blue snakehead)