About Channa striata (Bloch, 1793)
Channa striata is a bony fish with an endoskeleton and ribcage. It can grow up to one meter in length, but this size is rarely found in wild populations today due to fishing pressure. It has a broad native distribution that includes southern China, Pakistan, most of India, southern Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and most of Southeast Asia. More recently, it has been introduced to the outermost parts of Indonesia, the Philippines, and Mauritius. Reports starting in the early 20th century that claimed it had been introduced to the wild in Hawaii, especially on the island of Oahu, as well as later reports of its presence in Madagascar, are actually misidentifications of Channa maculata. The only currently confirmed established population of C. striata in Hawaii is located on a commercial fish farm. As recently as 2002, popular media and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service continued to spread this incorrect identification. Early to mid-20th century reports and texts that mention an introduction of this species to California also stem from a misunderstanding. C. striata is an important food fish across its entire native range, and holds considerable economic importance. Adult individuals are dark brown in color, with faint black bands visible across their whole bodies. During breeding season, both males and females work together to build a nest from water vegetation. Both parents guard the eggs after they are laid. Newly hatched fry are reddish orange, and remain guarded by both parents until they turn greenish brown once they reach around 5 to 6 centimeters in length. This fish is common in freshwater plains. It migrates from rivers and lakes into flooded fields, then returns to permanent water bodies during the dry season, where it survives by burrowing in mud. It preys on frogs, water bugs, and smaller fish, and will attack any moving thing during breeding season.
