West Bengal, Feb 02 : In a remarkable breakthrough, the Thackeray Wildlife Foundation has successfully relocated the elusive ‘Channa Amphibeus‘ fish species in West Bengal’s Chel River, nearly a century after its last documented sighting in 1933. This elusive snakehead species, known for its vibrant coloration, was found in the Chel River of West Bengal. The last recorded sighting of this species was in 1933.
Led by Tejas Thackeray, the research team included Praveenraj Jayasingh, Nallathambi Moulitharan, Balaji Vijayakrishnan, and Gourab Kumar Nanda. Their findings were published in the scientific journal ‘Zootaxa’ on January 31, 2025.
The ‘Channa Amphibeus‘, commonly known as the Chel Snakehead, is distinguished by its bright yellow and orange stripes and a neon patch beneath the eye. It is one of the larger snakehead species found in the Himalayan region, with a maximum size ranging from 205 to 270 mm.
This rediscovery underscores the importance of continued exploration and highlights the persistence of biodiversity, even in species once thought lost to time.
