Ophicephalus sowara is a Junior Synonym of Channa marulius.

Channa marulius (Hamilton, 1822)

Great Snakehead - Gajar - Native Fish - Wild (Freshwater)

view: Lateral [Hossain, 2019]

Systematic Position: [2]

Kingdom	:	Animalia
Phylum	:	Chordata
Class	:	Teleostei
Order	:	Perciformes
Family	:	Channidae
Genus	:	Channa
Species	:	Channa marulius

Common Names:

English	:	Great Snakehead[729] Giant Snakehead[729]
Bangla	:	Gajar[5] Gajal[5] Gajori[274] Sol[274] Gazri[729] Sal[729]

Synonyms:

Ophicephalus marulius Hamilton, 1822
Channa marulia (Hamilton, 1822)
Ophiocephalus marulius Hamilton, 1822
Ophicephalus grandinosus Cuvier, 1831 Apr
Ophiocephalus grandinosus Cuvier, 1831 Apr
Ophicephalus sowara Cuvier, 1831 Apr
Ophiocephalus sowarah Cuvier, 1831 Apr
Ophicephalus leucopunctatus Sykes, 1839 May
Ophiocephalus theophrasti Valenciennes, 1840
Ophiocephalus aurolineatus Day, 1870 Jun
Ophiocephalus marulius ara Deraniyagala, 1945
Channa marulius ara (Deraniyagala, 1945)
Ophicephalus marulius ara Deraniyagala, 1945
Ophiocephalus pseudomarulius Günther, 1861

Maximum Length and Weight:

>120 mm (TL) ^[5] 122 cm (TL) ^[6]

Inter-Length Relationship:

Head length : Total length : Standard length = 1 : 3.7-4.3 : 3.3-3.7 ^[5]
Body height : Total length : Standard length = 1 : 7-7.3 : 6-6.5 ^[5]
Eye Diameter : Head length = 1 : 5-7 ^[5]
Eye Diameter : Snout length = 1 : 1.5 ^[5]
Eye Diameter : Inter orbial width = 1 : 1.5-2 ^[5]

Taxonomic Formula:

D. 49-55; P₁. 17-19; P₂. 6; A. 28-35 ^{[Rahman, 2005]}
D 45-55; A 28-36; P 16-18; V 6 ^{[Talwar and Jhingran, 1991]}
B V; D 45-55; A 26-26; P 17-19; V 6; C 14-15; L.ls 60-70 ^{[Shafi and Quddus, 1982]}
B v; D 45-55; A 26-36; P 17-19; V 6; C 14-15; L.ls 60-70; L.tr 4.5-6.5/13-11 or 5.5-8.5/ ^{[Bhuiyan, 1964]}

Scales:

54-65 scales on lateral line. 6.5 scales between origin of dorsal fin and lateral line. 9.5 scales between origin of pelvic fin and lateral line. [5]

60-70 scales on lateral line. 16 scales before dorsal fin base. [6]

Chemistry:

Name

Amount

Unit

Body Parts

Matter Type

Specimen

Ref.

Ash

1.0

g/100 g

Edible parts

Raw

Wild

824

Calcium

9.3

mg/ 100 g

Edible parts

Raw

Wild

824

Copper

0.015

mg/ 100 g

Edible parts

Raw

Wild

824

Energy

286

kJ/100 g

Edible parts

Raw

Wild

824

Fat

0.3

g/100 g

Edible parts

Raw

Wild

824

Folate

2.0

μg/ 100 g

Edible parts

Raw

Wild

824

Iodine

14

μg/ 100 g

Edible parts

Raw

Wild

824

Iron

0.43

mg/ 100 g

Edible parts

Raw

Wild

824

Magnesium

23

mg/ 100 g

Edible parts

Raw

Wild

824

Manganese

0.018

mg/ 100 g

Edible parts

Raw

Wild

824

Moisture

82.6

g/100 g

Edible parts

Raw

Wild

824

Phosphorus

150

mg/ 100 g

Edible parts

Raw

Wild

824

Potassium

300

mg/ 100 g

Edible parts

Raw

Wild

824

Protein

17.1

g/100 g

Edible parts

Raw

Wild

824

Selenium

37

μg/ 100 g

Edible parts

Raw

Wild

824

Sodium

30

mg/ 100 g

Edible parts

Raw

Wild

824

Sulphur

230

mg/ 100 g

Edible parts

Raw

Wild

824

Vitamin B12

0.55

μg/ 100 g

Edible parts

Raw

Wild

824

Vitamin D3

0.42

μg/ 100 g

Edible parts

Raw

Wild

824

Vitamin E (α-tocopherol)

0.28

μg/ 100 g

Edible parts

Raw

Wild

824

Zinc

0.60

mg/ 100 g

Edible parts

Raw

Wild

824

Conservation Status:

Global	:	Least Concern (LC)	(Version 3.1) [519]
Bangladesh	:	Endangered (EN)	(Version 3.1) [215]

Occurrence/Distribution:

Global	:	Bangladesh[70] Cambodia[823] China[841] India[6] Indonesia[37] Laos[888] Myanmar[857] Nepal[134] Sri Lanka[90] Thailand[837] Vietnam[890] United States[891]
Bangladesh	:	Padma river, Rajshahi[274] Chalan beel, Natore[490] Sunamganj haor region, Sunamganj[729] Kaptai reservoir (Kaptai lake), Rangamati[753] Mahananda River, Chapainawabganj[775] River Choto Jamuna, Naogaon[9] Meghna river, Narsingdi[781] Borulia haor, Kishoreganj[794] Chitra river, Jashore[793] Old brahmaputra, Mymensingh[796] Little feni river, Feni[795] Someshwari river, Netrokona[806] Jamunashwori river, Rangpur[808] Sandha river, Pirojpur[810] Banar River, Mymensingh[1023] Bangshi River, Dhaka[1024] Tanguar Haor, Sunamganj[1025] Kishoreganj Haor Region, Kishoreganj[1026] Punarbhaba, Dinajpur[1161] Shakla heel, Brahmanbaria[1167] Balla beel, Moulvibazar[1168] Titas river, Brahmanbaria[1169] Lohalia river, Patuakhali[1200] Betna river, Satkhira[1201] Ghaghat river, Gaibandha[1202] Belua river, Pirojpur[1207] Bishkhali river, Jhalakathi[816]

Habitat and Environment:

Habitat:
Canal, Beel, River, Haor, Baor ^[347]

Environment:

Parameters	Units	Minimum	Maximum	Optimum	Ref.
Temperature	-	-	-	-	-
pH	-	-	-	-	-
DO	-	-	-	-	-
Free CO2	-	-	-	-	-

Breeding Maturity:

Data not available

Breeding Season: (red background)

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

[274]

Fecundity:

Egg: colour- Yellowish, dia- 1.5-1.7 mm, ^[347]
Absolute fecundity: 40,000 (max), ^[940]

Food and Feeding Habit:

Diet composition (%): Data not available

Importance:

Production and Marketing:
Production/Harvesting Season: (Green = Peak, Yellow = Off, Lemon = Moderate)

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

[792]

Harvesting Gears:
Seine net, Gill net ^[792]
Market price:
200-250 BDT/kg (Size: 50-60 cm, Weight: 1-2 kg, Place: Noakhali, Bangladesh) ^[792]