Channa harcourtbutleri 

Channa harcourtbutleri, the Burmese snakehead, is a species of snakehead endemic to Inle Lake and surroundings in Myanmar.

It is one of the smaller species of snakehead and has a standard length of up to 19.4 cm (7.6 in).

 It is a mouthbrooder and eats a wide range of foods, including arthropods and small fish, but unlike in some relatives, no frogs.

• DIAGNOSIS
  Channa harcourtbutleri can be distinguished from its congeners by the following combination of characteristics: a distinctly flatter and less convex head (postorbital depth 30.9-35.0% of head length), head length 33.2-34.0% of standard length (SL), head width 16.9-19.0% of SL, pelvic fins measuring 2.3-3.0% of the inter-pelvic fin distance, and a dorsum that is black to purplish-black.

DESCRIPTION

• The body is elongated and cylindrical, tapering dorso-ventrally toward the tail.

• The lateral line curves downward at scale 15-16.

• The dorsal and lateral aspects of the head are conical, with the snout sharply convex.

COLOUR

• In adults, the dorsum is black to purplish-black, with the posterior area below the lateral line sometimes featuring black oblique streaks on a dark grey background. The ventral side is dirty white to grey, with scattered darker grey spots.

• The throat shows bluish spots and blotches on a dark-grey background, giving a marbled appearance. The dorsal, caudal, and anal fins are purplish-black to dark grey, with yellow to orange borders.

• Pelvic fins are grey to dark grey, also with a yellowish border. The pectoral fins are greyish, with a distinct black blotch at the base (though this is less discernible in larger specimens with black bodies and dark-grey fins).

• The fin itself has 2-5 semi-concentric black rings, which are broader and darker near the base.

BiOLOGY

• Obligate air-breathing; Maximum length recorded is 19.4 cm SL.