| Family: |
Channidae (Snakeheads) |
| Max. size: |
15.5 cm SL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
benthopelagic; freshwater |
| Distribution: |
Asia: India. |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal soft rays (total): 36-39; Anal soft rays: 24-26; Vertebrae: 49-49. This species is distinguished from all its congeners by the following characters: body uniform bright blue to bluish-green, bright-blue dorsal, anal, and caudal fins, submarginally black with white distal margin, series of brown to maroon-red, rounded, oblong or clover-shaped blotches or spots on dorsolateral, postorbital, and ventrolateral region of head, continued on body forming oblique pattern or randomly distributed; similar to C. pardalis and C. bipuli in appearance, but differs from both in having brown to maroon-red, rounded, oblong or clover-shaped blotches or spots on head and sides of the body (vs. possession of well-defined, black to brown, rounded to oblong spots), fewer pre-dorsal scales 7 (vs. 8–9), more caudal-fin rays 15 (vs. 13), and more vertebrae 49 (vs. 45) (Ref. 131046). |
| Biology: |
Known from the streams at Puriang, East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, where the habitat is a clear, slow-flowing hill stream, having rocky substrate, and Eriocaulon sp. as the only aquatic vegetation. Water temperature is18C at the time of survey. .Associated species in the habitat were C. lipor, Danio meghalayensis, and Tor sp. The species is shy in nature, hides in crevices among the submerged rocky boulders. It comes out only for feeding. Well-conditioned specimens when housed in water temperature less than 20C acquires a uniform bright blue body color with maroon-red blotches on the lateral body and immediately takes up golden-green to greenish-gray color when stressed or housed in warm temperature (Ref. 131046). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
Source and more info: www.fishbase.org. For personal, classroom, and other internal use only. Not for publication.
