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Channa Melanoptera

Channa Melanoptera is a super rare snakeheads from Indonesia. First describe by bleeker in 1855. He found the fish in Kapuas river. Bleeker gave the description of a black snakehead with no ocel at the tail. 
They look somewhat like C. Marulioides. A lot of confusion and misinformations about the description of this fish from the internet. Most of them posted a blackout C. Marulioides and took it as C. Melanoptera. Again no thanks to fish traders quick to make a fast buck.

Channa Melanoptera practically has no flowers or white scales. If the white scale do exist it will be very small looking inbetween C. Marulia and C. marulioides white spotting. The batik pattern on the finnage glows in blue they've a florescent feel to it. They do not have the ocel at the caudal fin. Bands are not presents below lateral line. The heads are very short and slim. They have top black and bottom white.

Ive searched this species for a very long time until I stumble on a kalimantan shipment rejects. Comparing to the usual C. marulioides they do look hopeless lol. Thier existence habitat in Indonesia is unclear though it was vaguely mentioned Kalimantan and Sumatera. I've asked many fisherman over at Kalimantan and most have not even heard of this species.

A fish truly for snakeheads collector otherwise you wont even bother to look at it. Beautiful indeed esp the shape. Mine was only a 14" fish but the shape look like a 30" marulioides with the super short head.

I believe this is the only picture available of the C. Melanoptera exist on the internet.
Bleeker's description of the Channa Melanoptera 
Channa Melanoptera characteristic top black and bottom white
Possible Channa melanoptera another image found online. 


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