Karyotypic Analysis of Channa Gachua from Kapla Beel, Barpeta

Genetic information on fish species is essential for propagation, conservation and their sustainable utilization of biodiversity. The freshwater dwarf snakehead fish, Channa gachua is a member of the family Channidae, are very important in fishery, aquaculture, food fish species, pharmaceutical products and traditional medicine. They are consumed in some regions as a traditional medicine for wound healing and reducing post-operative pain and discomfort. Lots of taxonomical works have been reported from North-East India on Channa species. But the cytological works on Channa gachua is very few in the North-East India specifically in Assam. Therefore the available cytological informations about Channidae are still inadequate and controversial. This study is aimed to investigate the cytological nature of Channa gachua from Kapla Beel, Barpeta, Assam. The diploid chromosome number of Channa gachua is found as 2n=78 comprising 19 pairs of metacentric, 1 pair of submetacentric, and 19 pairs of telocentric chromosomes. The fundamental number is found as 118. For the species no heteromorphic sex chromosomes are cytologically detected.