Teleostei (teleosts) >
Anabantiformes (Gouramies, snakeheads) >
Channidae (Snakeheads)
Etymology: Parachanna: Greek, para = the side of + Greek, channe, -es = anchovy (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Günther.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal; potamodromous (Ref. 51243). Tropical; 26°C - 28°C (Ref. 1672); 14°N - 3°S
Africa: widely distributed from the Senegal River to the Chad system (Ref. 3575, 57290), including the Volta and Niger basins and many coastal basins in West Africa (Ref. 57290), up to the Nile (Ref. 3575, 28714) and Congo basins (Ref. 45434, 106290, 111328). In Lower Guinea known from most coastal basins (Ref. 81648).
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 50.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 31256); max. published weight: 1.0 kg (Ref. 3799)
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 39 - 45; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 26 - 32. Diagnosis: body elongate; lateral-line scales medium-sized, numbering 65-78; head depressed anteriorly, relatively long and covered with scales larger than those on body; lower jaw slightly longer than the upper, with 4-6 well developed canines; dorsal and anal fins not touching caudal fin; dorsal fin with 39-45, anal with 26-32 rays; 5-8 more or less rounded or polygonal dark blotches on flanks (Ref. 57290, 81648, 11328). 19-24 scales in transversal series (Ref. 11328).
Obligate air-breathing (Ref. 126274); Inhabits marginal vegetation and floodplains. Feeds on insects and small fish (Ref. 28714). Maximum SL reported 50.0 cm (Ref. 31256) larger than maximum TL 45.5 cm (Ref. 81648).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Teugels, G.G., J.J. Breine and D.F.E. Thys van den Audernaerde, 1986. Channidae. p. 288-290. In J. Daget, J.-P. Gosse and D.F.E. Thys van den Audenaerde (eds.) Checklist of the freshwater fishes of Africa (CLOFFA). ORSTOM, Paris and MRAC, Tervuren. Vol. 2. (Ref. 3575)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial
Tools
Special reports
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.6250 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00776 (0.00641 - 0.00940), b=3.01 (2.96 - 3.06), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.4 ±0.56 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Moderate vulnerability (44 of 100).
Nutrients (Ref.
124155): Calcium = 130 [69, 247] mg/100g; Iron = 1.24 [0.63, 2.21] mg/100g; Protein = 18.4 [16.6, 20.2] %; Omega3 = 0.23 [0.10, 0.52] g/100g; Selenium = 59.5 [25.0, 134.7] μg/100g; VitaminA = 33.1 [11.5, 92.8] μg/100g; Zinc = 1.58 [1.07, 2.30] mg/100g (wet weight);
