Observation of the Morphology of the Egg Diameter of the Snakehead Fish (Channa Striata)

Abstract

This descriptive laboratory study documented egg diameter and gonad maturity in one female snakehead fish (Channa striata). The specimen was examined during a Fisheries Biology practicum in April 2026 using morphometric measurement, dissection, gonad weighing, and microscopic egg observation. Total length was 31.0 cm, standard length was 27.5 cm, and body weight was 278.49 g. The digestive tract measured 17 cm. The ovary weighed 7.52 g, yielding a gonadosomatic index of 2.70%. The practicum record assigned macroscopic gonad maturity stage IV and reported an average egg diameter of 0.06 cm (0.60 mm). Counts recorded along a 1 cm observation line were 12, 10, and 12 eggs for the upper, middle, and lower ovary regions, respectively. Individual egg diameters, microscope magnification, calibration, and standard deviation were not retained; therefore, the reported mean cannot be independently verified. The results provide a specimen-level reproductive description and identify the minimum raw data required for a stronger fecundity and egg-size analysis.

Keywords: Channa striata; egg diameter; gonad maturity; gonadosomatic index; snakehead fish; reproduction