Family : Notopteridae (Featherbacks or knifefishes)
Order : Osteoglossiformes  (bony tongues)
Class : Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Fishbase Name : Clown knifefish
Fish Name : Chitala chitala
Max size : 122 cm SL (male/unsexed; Ref. 4832)
Environment : demersal; pH range: 6 - 8; dH range: 5 - 19
Climate : tropical; 24 - 28°C
Global Importance : fisheries: minor commercial; aquaculture: commercial; aquarium: commercial
Resilience: Very low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)Distribution : Asia: Indus, Ganges-Brahmaputra and Mahanadi river basins in India. No valid records from Irrawaddy, Salween or other river basins of Myanmar. Reports of Chitala chitala from Thailand and Indo-China were based on Chitala ornata and those from Malaysia and Indonesia on Chitala lopis.
Diagnosis : Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9-9; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 117-127. The only species in which subadults and adults have a series of transverse gold or silver bars on the dorsum, but this color feature is not always present (Ref. 7431). Differs from C. ornata in never having ocellated spots and from C. blanci and C. lopis in never having a black spot on the pectoral fin base (Ref. 7431). Young with 13 to 15 dark broad oblique cross bars on side of body. Pelvic fins uniting together at their base. Anal fin continuous with caudal fin (Ref. 4792).
Biology : Inhabits freshwater rivers, lakes, beels, nullahs in the plains (Ref. 41236), reservoirs, canals and ponds (Ref. 1479). Feeds on aquatic insects, mollusks, shrimps and small fishes (Ref. 1479). Lays eggs usually on stake or stump of wood, male fans them with tail, keeps them aerated and silt-free, guards them against small catfish and other predators; complete give-away to fishermen; female not observed at egg posts; moderately important food fish (Ref. 2686). Spawns once a year during May to August (Ref. 6459)
Threatened : Dangerous:  
Dangerous : harmless
Coordinator :
Main Ref : Roberts, T.R.. 1992. (Ref. 7431)

India country information
Common Names : ਪਰੀ, വാള, அம்பட்டண் வாலா, അന്പട്ടന് കാതി, അന്വട്ടന് കത്തി, அம்புட்டன் வாழ, Ambattankathi, Ambutan-walah, Chalat, Chital, Feather back, Kandla, Mohi, Pari, Patre, Pulli, Seetul, Vala
Status : native
Salinity : freshwater
Uses : no uses