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Type: Article
Published: 2019-06-27
Page range: 59–70
Abstract views: 451
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Channa brunnea, a new species of snakehead (Teleostei: Channidae) from West Bengal, India

Fisheries Science Division, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Central Island Agricultural Research Institute, Port Blair 744101, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India
Department of Aquatic Animal Health Management, Dr. M.G.R. Fisheries College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu, Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Fisheries University, Ponneri 601204, India.
Department of Fisheries Resources Management, Dr. M.G.R. Fisheries College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu, Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Fisheries University, Ponneri 601204, India.
Department of Aquatic Animal Health Management, Dr. M.G.R. Fisheries College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu, Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Fisheries University, Ponneri 601204, India.
Pisces Channa bleheri Channa andrao cox1 gene Eastern Himalaya freshwater fish

Abstract

Channa brunnea, a new species of snakehead fish lacking pelvic fins, from West Bengal, India, is distinguished from its pelvic fin-less congeners by possessing an uniform dark brown body, ochre to bright-orange blotches on the caudal fin, fewer dorsal and anal-fin rays (35–37 vs. 47–51 and 24 vs. 28–32, respectively), fewer vertebrae (43 vs. 45–57), and fewer lateral-line scales (43–46 vs. 51–63). Though Channa brunnea superficially resembles C. bleheri, it can be distinguished from the latter by possessing dark-brown oblique markings on the upper half of the body; transverse scale rows (4½–5½ vs. 3½); pre-anal scales (22–26 vs. 17–20); 2 rows of teeth in the fifth ceratobranchial, the outer row with 16 large conical teeth (vs. 3 rows of teeth, the outer row with 13 large conical teeth); dentary with 20 large, stout, conical teeth in the inner row (vs. 32 medium-sized conical teeth); and a Kimura’s two parameter (K2P) distance of 9.8–10.6%.

 

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