Geetakumari, K. & Vishwanath, 2010
Channa melanostigma, a new species of freshwater snakehead from North-East India (Teleostei: Channidae).Channa melanostigma, a new channid fish species is described from north-east India. The species is distinguished from all its congeners by a combination of the following characters: 14-15 black zig-zag transverse bars at irregular intervals on caudal fin (when stretched), the interspaces being 2/3rd of the bars; dorsal fin inserted after 3-4 scales vertically above the pectoral fin origin, ½7-½8 scales below the lateral line, 5 cheek scales, 27-28 circumpeduncular scales, 50-51 vertebrae, 7 branchial tooth plates, 36-37 branched dorsal fin rays and last dorsal fin inserted in between 41 and 43 vertebrae.
K. Geetakumari & W. Vishwanath
Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, 107(3), Sep-Dec 2010