Parachanna africana

African snakehead ( Parachanna africana)

The African snakehead ( Parachanna africana) is a freshwater fish of the family of snakehead fish, and comes from the Ouémé in Benin over the Niger Delta and the lower Cross River in Nigeria to Cameroon, possibly to Gabon before.

Features

The African snakehead reaches a maximum length of 33 cm and has for snakeheads typical elongated, rearward slightly tapered body with long dorsal and anal fin. The head is flattened and covered with relatively large scales ( larger than the body scales). The lower jaw of the predatory fish protrudes slightly and is equipped with three or four well-developed canines. Dorsal and anal fin have no contact with the rounded tail fin.

• Fins formula: Dorsal 45-48, 32-35 Anal.
• Side line scales 73-83, transverse row of scales 19-24.

The African snakehead fish is light to dark gray in color, with a darker back and a light belly. On the sides of the body can be seen eight to eleven angular dark bars. A dark band runs from the rear edge of the eye to the end of the operculum, where it forms a large dark spot. A smaller dark spot is located on the caudal fin base. On the fins clearly distinct oblique dark stripes are more or less visible. Juveniles are ocher and have a black longitudinal band, which extends from the mouth tip to the tail fin.