African snakehead | |
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Parachanna africana, after Boulenger, 1916 | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Perciformes |
Family: | Channidae |
Genus: | Parachanna |
Species: | P. africana |
Binomial name | |
Parachanna africana (Steindachner, 1879) |
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Distribution of Parachanna africana. | |
Synonyms | |
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Parachanna africana (African snakehead or Niger snakehead) is a species of fish from west-central Africa. Little is published on its biology. Limited primarily to coastal sections of rivers, it is thought to be a nest-building, thrust predator like other Channidae.
Its native range is southern Benin to southern Nigeria, primarily the Oueme River and the basin of the Niger River.