Taxonomic Status, Length-Weight Relationship and Condition Factor of Channa stewartii (Playfair, 1867) in Morigaon District, Assam, India
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Abstract
The Assamese snake-head fish, Channa stewartii (Playfair, 1867) is endemic to the Brahmaputra River Basin (upper, middle, and lower) in India and Bangladesh, as well as the Ganges River basin extending from southern Nepal south-eastward. This study aimed to examine the taxonomic status and the length-weight relationship and condition factor of C. stewartii populations from a newly found community in Assam, Morigaon district, India. Taxonomic assessment involves morphological examination and comparison with existing literature to confirm the species identity. The morphological observation clearly indicated that C. stewartii specimens were distinguished by their blue fins with black patches, red fin edges, and reddish-pink pectoral fins. The female fishes have slightly duller, yellowish colours than the males, although they still have brighter colours than the males. Phylogenetic analyses also showed that our recent collection was clustered with C. stewartii from Assam, India. Measurements of C. stewartii length-weight relationship exhibited that both male (b = 3.389) and female (b = 3.396) showed a positive allometric growth. Additionally, the condition factor (K) for both sexes exceeded 1, indicating the well-being and health of the fish in their habitat. The findings contribute to the understanding of the ecological characteristics and population dynamics of C. stewartii in Morigaon district, providing valuable information’s for fisheries management and conservation efforts in the region.
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