Chitala chitala
{{Short description|Species of ray-finned fish}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Chitala chitala.jpg
| image_caption = Specimen from Karachi, Pakistan
| status = NT
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| taxon = Chitala chitala
| authority = F. Hamilton, 1822
}}
Chitala chitala (Assamese: চিতল sitawl, Bengali: চিতল, chitol) is a knifefish from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan, found in the Brahmaputra, Indus, Ganges and Mahanadi River basins.{{FishBase species | genus = Chitala | species = chitala | month = May | year = 2014}} It is sometimes known as the Indian featherback or Indian knifefish.Seriously Fish: [http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/chitala-chitala/ Chitala chitala.] Retrieved 24 May 2014 In the past, it frequently included several related Chitala species, but these are now regarded as separate species.Roberts, T.R. (1992). Systematic revision of the old world freshwater fish family Notopteridae. Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwat. 2(4):361-383. The main species confused with this species is C. ornata (clown featherback or clown knifefish); a Southeast Asian species seen regularly in the aquarium trade. The true C. chitala is very rare in the aquarium trade.
Description
File:চিতল.jpg, India: Notice the stripes on the back and the dark spots on the lower rear part of the body (both relatively indistinct)]]
C. chitala reaches a maximum length of {{convert|122|cm|in|abbr=on}}, but more commonly reaches about {{convert|75|cm|in|abbr=on}}. It is overall silvery in color. Unlike all its relatives, it usually has a series of golden or silvery bars along the back, resulting in a faint striped appearance. Additionally, it has a series of fairly small, sometimes indistinct, non-ocellated dark spots towards the far rear of the body (at the "tail"). This separates it from C. ornata, which has ocellated spots (dark spots surrounded by a paler ring) and lacks bars along the back. The two species have frequently been confused.
As food
Chital maasor jul, chital machher jhol, Chital Maccher Muitthya and Chital Maccher Peti are a regional delicacy in Bangladesh and neighbouring Assam and West Bengal in India.{{Cite web|title=Chital Macher Jhol|url=http://bongong.com/recipe/chital-macher-jhol|access-date=2020-08-14|website=bongong.com}}
In religion
This species has a place in Hinduism as one of the avatars of Lord Vishnu; in the first incarnation of "Matsya", Vishnu was born as a golden knifefish to kill the demon.{{cite web|url=http://huexonline.com/knowledge/20/81/|title=นารายณ์อวตาร ตอนที่ 1 "มัตสยาวตาร"|language=thai|work=huexonline}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Commonscat-inline}}
- {{Wikispecies-inline}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q5432290}}