09-07-2025
9k Brahmaputra fish rescued from Barasat, brought to Alipore zoo
Kolkata: A consignment of close to 9,000 rare fish, suspected to be containing the rare Channa barca or barca snakehead, a species found only in the upper Brahmaputra river basin, has been seized in Barasat while being smuggled on Tuesday and brought to Alipore zoo.
Sources said three persons have also been detained in this connection.
The seizure comes only a few days after 48 critically endangered gharials were seized near Gaighata last week. Barca snakehead is critically endangered in Bangladesh. In India, it is considered data-deficient by International Union for Conservation of Nature. It is also in high demand among aquarists. It is protected under Schedule II of the country's wildlife protection act.
A forest dept official, though, said that unless ZSI identifies the species, they cannot make any comment. "All the fish in the consignment may not be channa barca. So, we are awaiting confirmation from ZSI," he said. According to sources, the Channa barca in the consignment was probably mixed with another similar species that looked like the 'Meghalaya Blue' fish or Channa pardalis.
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According to reports, the barca snakehead is only known from the upper Brahmaputra River basin in Assam and Nagaland in India and Sylhet in Bangladesh. This is a relatively large snakehead, reaching upto a length of up to 105 cm (3 ft). Its rarity, behavior and large size makes it unsuitable for most aquariums. It mostly inhabits wetlands, often near the margins, but can also be seen in riverine habitats. The overall conservation status of the barca snakehead is poorly known, but it appears to be a scarce or rare species, as per IUCN observation.
The species is highly carnivorous, feeding mostly on fish.
