Chitala ornata  (Gray, 1831)

Clown featherback

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Osteoglossiformes (Bony tongues) > Notopteridae (Featherbacks or knifefishes)
Etymology: Chitala: Bangladesh local name.

Environment / Climate / Range Ecology

Freshwater; pelagic; potamodromous (Ref. 51243).   Tropical; 24°C - 28°C

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 100.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 30857); max. published weight: 5.0 kg (Ref. 40637)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Distinguished from other members of the family by the presence of a row of large ocellated spots above the base of the anal fin (Ref. 27732). Differs from C. chitala in lacking silver or gold transverse streaks on dorsum and from C. blanci and C. lopis in lacking a basal pectoral spot (Ref. 7431).

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions | Faunafri

Asia: Mekong basin in Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Viet Nam; Chao Phraya and Meklong basins.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Inhabits flowing waters of large and medium-sized rivers (Ref. 12693). Within the Mekong mainstream, it occurs in pools (Ref. 37770). Found in the basin-wide mainstream of the lower Mekong (Ref. 36667). A predator on surface-feeding fishes, crustaceans and insects, with a crepuscular or nocturnal activity pattern. Moves into inundated forest during the high water period from June to October. Individuals from the Great Lake are shipped to markets in Thailand (Ref. 12693).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Rainboth, W.J., 1996. Fishes of the Cambodian Mekong. FAO Species Identification Field Guide for Fishery Purposes. FAO, Rome, 265 p.

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 90363)

  Least Concern (LC) 

Threat to humans

  Harmless




Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial
FAO(Publication : search) | FisheriesWiki | Sea Around Us

More information

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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

Alien/Invasive Species database | BHL | Cloffa | BOLDSystems | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | DiscoverLife | Faunafri | Fishtrace | GenBank(genome, nucleotide) | GOBASE | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | iSpecies | PubMed | Scirus | SeaLifeBase | Tree of Life | uBio | Wikipedia(Go, Search) | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoological Record

Estimates of some properties based on empirical models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805):  PD50 = 0.5166   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00000 (0.00000 - 0.00000), b=0.00 (0.00 - 0.00), based on (Ref. 93245).
Trophic Level (Ref. 69278):  3.7   ±0.57 se; Based on food items.
Resilience (Ref. 69278):  Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  High vulnerability (63 of 100) .
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Unknown.