The Malabar snakehead (Channa diplogramma) is a vulnerable species of snakehead from fresh water in the Western Ghats in India. Until 2011, its scientific name was usually considered to be a synonym of C. micropeltes, the giant snakehead.
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CongregatoryCongregatory animals tend to gather in large numbers in specific areas as breeding colonies, for feeding, or for resting.
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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starts withThe Malabar snakehead differs from all other species in the genus by its high number of lateral line scales (103–105 vs. 36–91). It further differs from all other Channa species, except C. bankanensis, C. lucius, C. micropeltes, and C. pleurophthalma, by the presence of gular scales, a patch of scales between the anterior tips of the lower jaws, visible in ventral view. C. diplogramma differs from C. bankanensis, C. lucius, and C. pleurophtalma by having a very different color pattern, and from its sister species C. micropeltes by a combination of characteristics, viz. number of caudal fin rays, lateral line scales, scales below lateral line; total vertebrae, pre-anal length, and body depth.
The Malabar snakehead is endemic to the southern Western Ghats of peninsular India. It is known from the Meenachil, Manimala, Pampa, Achenkovil and Kallada Rivers (and their reservoirs) in Kerala, as well as the Chittar and Tambaraparani Rivers (and their reservoirs) in Tamil Nadu.
C. diplogramma shows multiple color phases during its life history, which makes local fishers believe that they are different species. The different specimens are also known by different vernacular names (pulivaka, karivaka, manalvaka, and charalvaka). All these specimen in different color phases occur sympatrically and use the same ecological habitats.
Social animals are those animals that interact highly with other animals, usually of their own species (conspecifics), to the point of having a rec...