Chitala chitala Care Guide
Chitala chitala is a large South Asian featherback knifefish with a humped silvery body and no eyespots, kept only in very large tanks.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Chitala chitala, the Indian featherback, was described by Hamilton in 1822. It is a knifefish of the family Notopteridae native to the major river basins of South Asia. It is distinguished from the closely related clown featherback (C. ornata), which has ringed spots and lacks dorsal bars, by its golden or silvery dorsal bars and small dark spots near the tail. The true species is rare in the aquarium trade and is often confused with C. ornata.
Taxonomy
- Family: Notopteridae
- Genus: Chitala
- Scientific name: Chitala chitala
- Described by: Hamilton, 1822
- Common name: Indian Featherback
Habitat
According to Wikipedia, the species is found in the Brahmaputra, Indus, Ganges and Mahanadi River basins across Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan. The elongated silvery body carries a pronounced hump behind the head.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 1500 L
- Maximum size: up to 122 cm, though specimens typically reach about 75 cm
- Temperature: 24-28 °C (75-82 °F)
- pH: 6.5-7.5
- GH: 5-15 °dGH
- Lifespan: 10-20 years
- Provide a secured cover and ample swimming space
Diet
Chitala chitala is a carnivore. Featherbacks are nocturnal predators that take meaty foods such as fish and invertebrates in the aquarium.
Compatibility
The species is semi-aggressive and swims in the middle of the water column. It grows large and is best kept with large catfish; small fish are at risk of being eaten.
Breeding
Breeding is rated advanced and is rarely accomplished in home aquaria.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Near Threatened.
Breeding the Indian Featherback (Chitala chitala)
Overview
The Indian Featherback (Chitala chitala) is a large South Asian knifefish reaching up to 122 cm SL, commonly around 75 cm, from the Indus, Ganges-Brahmaputra and Mahanadi basins. It is a facultative air-breather of rivers, lakes, reservoirs, canals and ponds and is listed Near Threatened by the IUCN (FishBase; Wikipedia). The true C. chitala is very rare in the aquarium trade (Wikipedia).
Conditioning
FishBase reports that the species spawns once a year during May to August, indicating a clear seasonal cycle. Conditioning would therefore mean well-fed adults exposed to the warm, rising-water conditions of that season; the diet in the wild is aquatic insects, mollusks, shrimps and small fishes (FishBase).
Breeding Setup
In natural and managed settings the fish use vertical structure as a spawning site. According to FishBase, females lay their eggs usually on a stake or stump of wood, so any setup must provide submerged wooden surfaces in a very large body of water.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
Spawning occurs once a year in the May-August season (FishBase). Eggs are deposited on a submerged stake or stump, after which the male takes over their care.
Egg & Fry Care
FishBase states that males fan the eggs with the tail to keep them aerated and silt-free and guard them against small catfish and other predators. This dedicated paternal care is the defining feature of the species' reproduction.
Common Challenges
The combination of very large adult size, a strict annual season and obligate wood-substrate spawning makes home reproduction unrealistic; documented breeding comes from ponds and commercial aquaculture rather than aquaria.