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Channa quinquefasciata Praveenraj, Uma, Knight, Moulitharan, Balasubramanian, Bineesh & Bleher, 2018 Five banded snakehead |
| Family: | Channidae (Snakeheads) | |||
| Max. size: | 18.27 cm SL (male/unsexed) | |||
| Environment: | benthopelagic; freshwater; brackish | |||
| Distribution: | Asia: India. | |||
| Diagnosis: | This species is distinguished from all its congeners by having a unique greyish to chrome-yellow body colour, with five black oblique bands horizontally along the upper half of the lateral body, dorsal-fin membrane with three rows of multiple black to brown oblong spots running horizontally along the whole fin length, and caudal-fin membrane alternating with <-shaped black spots arranged transversely. Genetically, it’s closest congener C. stewartii from which it differs by K2-P sequence distance of 6.8-7.0%, and morphologically by the absence of numerous black spots on the flanks (vs. presence), fewer dorsal-fin rays 33-35 (vs. 38-40), fewer caudal-fin rays 12 (vs. 13), and fewer mid-row lateral-line scales 10-13 (vs. 14-16) (Ref. 131047). | |||
| Biology: | ||||
| IUCN Red List Status: | Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435) | |||
| Threat to humans: | harmless | |||