Channa punctata - ( Mada kanaya)

Family:	Channidae (Snakeheads)
Order:	Perciformes (perch-likes)
Class:	Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
FishBase name:	Spotted snakehead
Max. size:	31.0 cm TL (male/unsexed; Ref. 4833)
Environment:	benthopelagic; potamodromous
Climate:	tropical; 22 - 28°C
Global Importance:	fisheries: commercial; aquaculture: commercial; aquarium: commercial; bait: occasionally
Resilience:	Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.2)
Distribution:	Asia: Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Yunnan in China.
Biology:	Found in ponds, swamps, brackish water (Ref. 6028), ditches and beels (Ref. 1479). Prefers stagnant waters in muddy streams (Ref. 4833). Feeds on worms, insects and small fish (Ref. 6028). Accepts chopped fish and shrimp in the aquarium. Breeds throughout the year. Mitochondrial hypertrophy, noted in the double cone of the retina of this species, is considered a basic process in oil droplet formation (Ref. 10557) believed to be an adaptation for enhanced visual contrast detection in turbid waters (Ref. 10407). Used as live bait for angling larger snakeheads
Threatened:	Not Evaluated, see IUCN Red List , (Ref. 36508)
Dangerous:	harmless
Coordinator:

Sri Lanka country information
Common names:	Mada kanaya, Spotted snakehead