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Parachanna obscura (Günther, 1861)

African obscure snakehead
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Image of Parachanna obscura (African obscure snakehead)
Parachanna obscura
Picture by Muséum-Aquarium de Nancy/D. Terver

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

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

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

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)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

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).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

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 Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

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)

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 21 April 2019

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: commercial
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items
Diet compositions
Food consumptions
Food rations
Predators
Ecology
Ecology
Population dynamics
Growths
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversions
Recruitments
Abundances
Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturities
Fecundities
Spawnings
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Egg(s)
Egg developments
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Distribution
Countries
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
BRUVS - Videos
Anatomy
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Otoliths
Physiology
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Nutrients
Oxygen consumptions
Swimming type
Swimming speeds
Visual pigment(s)
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Diseases / Parasites
Toxicities (LC50s)
Genetics
Genetics
Electrophoreses
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Stamps, coins, misc.
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Taxonomy
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References
References

Tools

Bio-Quiz | E-book | Field guide | Identification keys | Length-frequency wizard | Life-history tool | Point map | Classification Tree | Catch-MSY |

Special reports

Check for Aquarium maintenance | Check for Species Fact Sheets | Check for Aquaculture Fact Sheets

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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | BOLDSystems | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GenBank: genome, nucleotide | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | MitoFish | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.6250   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00759 (0.00606 - 0.00950), b=3.02 (2.96 - 3.08), 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).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Unknown.
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);