| Channa harcourtbutleri | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Anabantiformes |
| Family: | Channidae |
| Genus: | Channa |
| Species: | C. harcourtbutleri |
| Binomial name | |
| Channa harcourtbutleri (Annandale, 1918) | |
| Synonyms [2] | |
Ophiocephalus harcourt-butleriAnnandale, 1918 | |
Channa harcourtbutleri, the Burmese snakehead, is a species of snakehead endemic to Inle Lake [3] and surroundings [4] in Myanmar. Locally called nga ohn-ma, among aquarists it is considered one of the dwarf snakeheads, but no significant import for aquarists is known. It is one of the smaller species of snakehead and has a standard length of up to 19.4 cm (7.6 in). [2] The specific name honors Sir Harcourt Butler, a British governor in the region. [3]
This was for a long time considered to be a junior synonym of Channa gachua . In fact, both species closely resemble each other. The article on its revalidation [5] only mentions three discriminating features, such as the missing ocellus in the dorsal fin of a juvenile Channa harcourtbutleri. It is suspected to be a mouthbrooder and eats a wide range of foods, including arthropods and small fish, but unlike in some relatives, no frogs.
