Ceylon snakehead

Channa orientalis Drawing from Fauna of British India. Fishes.

The Ceylon snakehead fish ( Channa orientalis (Latin: " orientalis " from the Orient to arise ) ) is a fish of the family of snakehead ( Channidae ).

Dissemination

Channa orientalis is endemic to Sri Lanka. The snakeheads made ​​earlier in this style from the Indian subcontinent, from Afghanistan, Baluchistan, Southeast Asia and the Great Sunda Islands are now attributed to the small Asian snakehead ( Channa gachua ).

Features

Channa orientalis is a maximum of 33 cm, but usually remains at a length of 15 to 16 cm, in mountainous areas it is only 10 cm long. He is one of the smaller snakeheads. Its coloration is highly variable according to the large area of ​​distribution. He is usually more or less brown, green brown or gray brown in color with a dark top and an off-white underside. Juveniles have dark cross bands or irregular dark spots, which become weaker with increasing size or disappear completely. The unpaired fins are dark, sometimes blue with dark red fins and fin rays hems. The Ceylon snakehead lack the pelvic fins in contrast to Asian small snake head.

• Fins formula: Dorsal 34-37, 21-23 Anal.
• Dandruff formula: 41-45 (MLR )

The lateral line runs from the 10th until the 13th of offset scale to a shed row down.

Way of life

Channa orientalis is very adaptable and lives in rivers, lakes, ponds, pools, mountain streams and in brackish water with muddy or gravelly soils. The fish keeps mostly hidden under wood or other cover. It tolerates low oxygen concentration, temperatures up to 36.5 ° C and can survive dry periods in almost parched swamp holes. As a food are mainly insects and crustaceans, to a lesser extent small fish. Channa orientalis is one of the mouthbrooding snakeheads.