Edit Channa aurantimaculata

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Name

Scientific name

Channa aurantimaculata

Described by

Authority Musikasinthorn, Year 2000

Family

Channidae

Common names

Orange-spotted Snakehead

Photograph credits

All 11 credited

Summary

The orange-spotted snakehead, Channa aurantimaculata, is a snakehead endemic to the Brahmaputra basin in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, India…

Size and aquarium

Maximum size

400mm, standard length

Aquarium size

Minimum length 150 cm, Minimum depth 60 cm

Water

Water conditions

Temperature 10–28°C, pH 6–8

Hardness

2–20dGH

Conductivity

Not recorded

Behaviour

Temperament

Species tank only

Community suitability

Not for a community

Where it lives

Countries, regions, rivers and lakes

India, Brahmaputra

Writing

Etymology

Channa: from the Latin channe, used to refer to an unspecified species of sea perch. aurantimaculata: from the Latin aurantium, meaning 'orange', and maculatus…

Distribution

Endemic to the Brahmaputra River basin in the states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, northeastern India. It's apparently restricted to the northern portion of …

Habitat

The area in which it lives has a 'tropical monsoon rainforest' climate characterised by heavy rainfall, high humidity and hot summer temperatures. In his descr…

Aquarium size

An aquarium with base measuring at least 150 ∗ 60 cm is recommended. Water depth is less important but should not be less than 30 cm.

Maintenance

Prefers a dimly-lit aquarium with a layer of surface vegetation such as Ceratopteris spp. plus some submerged cover. It's essential to use a tightly-fitting ho…

Water conditions

Not written yet

Diet

An obligate predator which probably feeds on smaller fishes and insects in nature but in most cases adapts well to dead alternatives in captivity. Some specime…

Behaviour and compatibility

Best-maintained in a species-specific aquarium. It is aggressively territorial towards conspecifics and violence can occur suddenly and without warning even in…

Sexual dimorphism

Males begin to develop a more-extended, intensely-patterned dorsal-fin once they reach a size of around 150 mm. In most cases adult fish can also be sexed by v…

Reproduction

A paternal mouthbrooder which has been bred infrequently in aquaria.

Notes

This species is also traded as 'golden cobra snakehead' and is available in the aquarium trade on a regular basis. It can be distinguished from other Channa sp…

This species is also traded as 'golden cobra snakehead' and is available in the aquarium trade on a regular basis.

It can be distinguished from other Channa species by the following combination of characters: 51-54 lateral line scales; 45-47 dorsal-fin rays; 28-30 anal-fin rays; 8-12 cheek scales; 50-52 total vertebrae; two large cycloid scales on each side of lower jaw undersurface; pelvic-fin length less than 50 % of pectoral-fin length; upper half of body dark brown to black with 7-8 large, irregular orange blotches; pectoral-fin with a black blotch at the base and 5 broad blackish bands.

Members of the family Channidae are commonly referred to as 'snakeheads' due to possession of large scales on the head of most species which are reminiscent of the epidermal scales (cephalic plates) on the heads of snakes.

There currently exist over 30 valid species but diversity within the group is likely to prove significantly greater.

The existence of distinct phylogenetic groups has been proposed with the putative C. gachua species assemblage of Britz (2008) containing C. orientalis, C. gachua, C. bleheri, C. burmanica, C. barca, C. aurantimaculata, and C. stewartii.

Species from northeastern India have also been divided into the C. marulius and C. gachua groups (Vishwanath and Geetakumari, 2009)[2].

C. aurantimaculata should be included in the latter assemblage which the authors characterise by possessing the following combination of characters: presence of a U-shaped isthmus; cephalic sensory pores evenly arranged in a single row; presence of one or two large cycloid scales on each side of the lower jaw; absence of a sharp prominent spine-like hypurapophysis; absence or presence of one tooth plate in the epibranchial; absence of an elongated urostyle.

All Channa spp. possess supplementary breathing apparatus in the form of paired suprabranchial chambers located behind and above the gills, although these are not labyrinthic but lined with respiratory epithelium.

These chambers allow the fish to breathe atmospheric air and survive in hypoxic conditions or even out of the water for a considerable period of time, and in aquaria they are often seen rising to the surface to take gulps of air.

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References

5 on this profile

Name

Scientific name

Described by

Family

Common names

Photograph credits

Summary

Size and aquarium

Maximum size

Aquarium size

Water

Water conditions

Hardness

Conductivity

Behaviour

Temperament

Social needs

Community suitability

Where it lives

Countries, regions, rivers and lakes

Writing

Etymology

Distribution

Habitat

Aquarium size

Maintenance

Water conditions

Diet

Behaviour and compatibility

Sexual dimorphism

Reproduction

Notes

References

References