Channa harcourtbutleri

Channa harcourtbutleri

Near Threatened  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Anabantiformes
Family: Channidae
Genus: Channa
Species:
C. harcourtbutleri
Binomial name
Channa harcourtbutleri
(Annandale, 1918)
Synonyms

Ophiocephalus harcourt-butleri Annandale, 1918

Channa harcourtbutleri, the Burmese snakehead, is a species of snakehead endemic to Inle Lake and surroundings in Myanmar. Locally called nga ohn-ma, among aquarists it is considered one of the dwarf snakeheads, but no significant import for aquarists is known. It is one of the smaller species of snakehead and has a standard length of up to 19.4 cm (7.6 in). The specific name honors Sir Harcourt Butler, a British governor in the region.

This was for a long time considered to be a junior synonym of Channa gachua. In fact, both species closely resemble each other. The article on its revalidation only mentions three discriminating features, such as the missing ocellus in the dorsal fin of a juvenile Channa harcourtbutleri. It is suspected to be a mouthbrooder and eats a wide range of foods, including arthropods and small fish, but unlike in some relatives, no frogs.

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