Rare Snakehead Fish Species Spotted in India After 85 Years

kalimpong, india - A rare fish species, believed to have been extinct for decades, has been sighted three times in India in 2024.

Rare Chel Snakehead Fish Rediscovered in India

The Chel snakehead fish, also known as Channa amphibeus, a ray-finned fish species named for its brightly colored scales, was thought to have gone extinct in the early 20th century. The last known specimens were collected between 1918 and 1933 in the Himalayan region of India.

Explorers and scientists had searched India for decades to locate the fish species to no avail until a local newspaper tip led to its rediscovery. The fish, a potential food source for an indigenous tribe, was found three times along the banks of the Chel River near the city of Kalimpong.

The Chel snakehead fish can grow up to 90 centimeters in length and is a predatory species with small, sharp teeth that feed on insects, snails, shrimps, and small aquatic mammals. They are known for their ability to survive in dry conditions and move over land due to their ability to breathe air as well as through gills.

The Thackeray Wildlife Foundation, a Mumbai-based conservation organization that assisted in the rediscovery, sees this as a positive development for India's biodiversity. Biologists, including Forrest Galante, are excited about the return of this unique fish species.

Galante, known for his work on Discovery Channel, describes the Chel snakehead's distinctive features, such as chrome-yellow to orange stripes, a bright neon spot under the eye, and the highest number of lateral line scales among all snakehead species.