Channa coccinea, Britz & Hui & Rüber, 2024

Britz, Ralf, Hui, Tan Heok & Rüber, Lukas, 2024, Four new species of Channa from Myanmar (Teleostei, Labyrinthici, Channidae), Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 72, pp. 1-25 : 12-16

Channa coccinea , new species

( Figs. 11–13 )

Holotype. ZRC 64931, 125.4 mm SL; Myanmar, Kachin State, unnamed streams north of Putao , coll. Min Htet Kyaw, February 2022.

Paratypes. ZRC 64932 , 7 ex., 98.6–132.7 mm SL; same data as holotype . — MTD 40203 , 2 ex., both 106.4 mm SL, same data as holotype .

Diagnosis. Channa coccinea can be distinguished from all other Myanmar species of the Gachua group by its colour pattern consisting of oblique reddish saddle-like markings and lines (vs. different colour pattern). It can be distinguished from C. burmanica , which occurs in the same area, by presence of pelvic fins (vs absence). It also differs from all Myanmar Gachua group snakeheads by a genetic distance of 3.5–19.9% in the COI gene.

Description. See Figs. 11 , 13 for general appearance and Table 4 for morphometric information and Table 6 for select meristic characters. Body elongate, round in cross section anteriorly, laterally compressed at caudal peduncle, body depth 6.7–7.9 times in SL. Head large, length 3.3–3.5 times in SL. Head widest halfway between posterior margin of eye and that of opercle. Mouth large, maxilla extending posteriorly beyond jaw angle, lips fleshy. Premaxilla with multiple rows of small sharp, pointed teeth ( Fig. 12a ). Dentary also with several series of small teeth and an internal series of larger canines ( Fig. 12b ). Vomer with a number of smaller teeth at anterior margin and only a few very large teeth internally ( Fig. 12a ). Palatine with an external series of smaller teeth and an internal row of prominent large canines ( Fig. 12a ). Parasphenoid with a tooth at level of pharyngobranchial 3 ( Fig. 12d ). Hypobranchial 3 with a patch of tiny teeth ( Fig. 12c ). Ceratobranchial 5 with series of large teeth with anteriorly directed tips along posterior and medial margin and smaller teeth in middle and along anterior margin ( Fig. 12c ). Pharyngobranchial 2 elongate with several series of tiny teeth ( Fig. 12d ). Pharyngobranchial 3 with prominent teeth with recurved tips ( Fig. 12d ). Upper pharyngeal toothplate 4 with larger recurved teeth anteromedially and smaller teeth posterolaterally ( Fig. 12d ).

Pectoral-fin rays 15*–16. Dorsal-fin rays 36(4), 37 (5) or 38*(1). Anal-fin rays 24(1), 25(1), 26(6) or 27*(2). Caudal fin with 6*(10) + 6*(8) or 7 (2) principal rays and 3*(10) dorsal and 2(2)–3*(8) ventral procurrent rays. 44 (1), 45(1), 46(6), or 47*(3) vertebrae with 40(2), 41(6) or 42*(3) abdominal and 4(2), 5*(8) or 6(1) caudal vertebrae.

Predorsal scales 7–8. Lateral line with 43–47 scales extending from shoulder girdle in a horizontal line, but dropping one scale row at scale 13–14, then continuing horizontally to end of caudal peduncle. Scales above lateral line 4.5 and below 6.5 at level of anal-fin origin. Circumpeduncular scales 24, including 9 larger scales on each side and 3 tiny scales along dorsal and ventral midline Postorbital scales 8–9. Prepelvic scales 9–10. One or two scales on ventral aspect of anguloarticular.

Colouration in preservative. See Fig. 11 . Body dark brown-grey, slightly lighter ventrally. Series of 6–8 darker, saddle-like blotches along base of dorsal fin and caudal peduncle, extending to lateral midline. Dorsal, anal, and caudal fins brown-grey with white rim. Caudal fin also with darker vertical marbling arranged in ladder-like fashion. Pectoral fins dark brown base with narrow cream bands, the latter not reaching fin margins laterally. Pelvic fin dark grey with light distal rim.

Colouration in life. See Fig. 13 . Body of cream background colour, light beige ventrally. Series of oblique saddle-like reddish markings, extending as irregular lines beyond lateral midline in abdominal and reaching anal-fin base in caudal area. Lips, gular area, and side of head light grey. Postorbital head and opercular area often with irregularly arranged reddish spots. Bases of dorsal, caudal, and anal fins with similarly reddish irregular markings. Dorsal fin with greyish-blue middle band, darker grey subdistal band, and whitish rim. Caudal with with reddish marbling and cream intermarbling, dark grey subdistal area, and whitish rim. Pectoral fin with dark grey base, and reddish-brown bands alternating with cream to yellowish interbands. Pelvic fin grey with white margin.

Distribution. The new species was found in streams near Putao, Kachin State, northern Myanmar.

Etymology. The species name is derived from the Latin adjective ‘coccineus’, -a, -um, red, alluding to the reddish markings on the head and sides of the body.

Remarks. This species has been traded as an ornamental fish since early 2022 under the name “ Channa sp. ignis”. Its reproductive mode is still unknown, but it is likely a mouthbrooder.

Figures

Fig. 11. Channa coccinea, ZRC 64931, 125.4 mm SL; holotype, in dorsal (top), lateral (middle), and ventral (bottom) view; Myanmar, Kachin State, unnamed stream near Putao.

Fig. 12. Channa coccinea, MTD 40203, paratype, 117.0 mm SL. Volume rendered 3D models illustrating dentition on premaxilla, vomer and palatine, in ventral view (a), lower jaw (b) in dorsal view, ventral branchial arches (c) in dorsal view, and upper pharyngeal jaws and parasphenoid patch (d) in ventral view. Note presence of caniniform teeth on palatine and dentary. Abbreviations: cb 5, ceratobranchial 5; de, dentary; hb3, hypobranchial 3; pal, palatine; pb2, pharyngobranchial; pb3, pharyngobranchial 3; pmx, premaxilla; ps, parasphenoid up4, upper pharyngeal toothplate 4. Scale bars 1 cm.

Fig. 13. Channa coccinea, colouration in life, ZRC 64932, 120.5 mm SL; Myanmar, Kachin State, unnamed stream near Putao.