Presence of numerous black spot on the bright-orange body surface of the fish makes it different from other five snakehead species in Bangladesh although the external characters are same. The external characters of the fish mostly found to be similar with Channa barca but a critical difference is found while comparing the body colour of these two specimens. The body colour of Channa barca is black spots on grayish-black skin but the new specimen is completely bright orange coloured with black spots.

Therefore, gradually a question arises that, is this change of colour occurs due to the breeding periodicity of the fish? But this possibility is very less because no record of colour changes of Channa barca is found elsewhere during the breeding season. Even the present time (November) is not the breeding period of Channa barca. Then would we think the specimen as a new species of snakehead in Bangladesh?

Orange Snakehead: A new species of snakehead in Bangladesh?

Based on photographs from different angles of only one specimen I discussed with my colleague Dr. ABM Mohsin working with fish diversity; and using taxonomic key of renowned websites like FishBase and compiling the other available important related documents, the maximum characters of the fish are found to be similar with Channa bleheri of Assam (India) where the fish is known as ‘Lal Cheng’ [Eng. Red Snakehead].

The fish is found in the aquarium fish markets of Europe and America as an ornamental fish, commonly known as Rainbow snakehead. Sellers of these markets breed the fish commercially by following artificial breeding technique. In Bangladesh, no record of this fish has been found in the Katabon aquarium fish market of Dhaka; even the seller of this market did not import the fish earlier. Then, how dose the fish come in Tangail area? Dose it come from Assam during flood?