INDIANANGLER

Can the Clown knifefish be found in the indian waters ?

I have seen them in aquariums in India

Yes I believe they are found in the indian wild...

I've eaten knifefish in India ^^ I'm starting to remember now lol haha

they taste delicious !

They are found in West Bengal. Known as Cheethol. Mostly in lakes. They are quiqkly terminated as they are known to eat Rohita & katla figerlings.

Any idea about if its found in any part of Maharashtra its ages now one have seen a cheethol maach

will somebody please post a pic of the fish so that people like me can atleast see what it is, and how it looks.

Hope this helps, the colours vary from silver to bronze:

the fish is called Pari in Pakistan. They grow quite big in the river Indus and are caught near Dera Ghazi Khan. I have seen a fish around the 15 kg +/- mark.

Hello Rajat, Never found in Maharashtra. Dont think they survive here...

i believe we do have them here in maharashtra.

i have seen them.

but not with the spots. are,nt these sheath fish family.

i've seen themplay around on the surface of ponds at dusk.

you might be right there because i remember eating a special dish in Bengal which is made of "Chetol maacer peti"(means the stomach portion of the fish )and it was really big and i think it also be found in Ganga and the estuaries of it when it meets the bay of Bengal Saiki or Gavin could confirm.

No I havent seen any Chital in Maharashtra in 28 years ... The ones i have seen are from Calcutta. Mr Mohile can say better...

I could be wrong, but I think the pari is a different fish from the Chitla.
I don't think the pari has spots.

I referred "The Rod In India" where H S Thomas claims that the fish (Notopterus Chitala) grows upto 4 - 5 feet in length. Vernacular names listed there are Seetul, Chitala, Chitul, Moie, Mohi, Moh, Gundun and Bunnah. They take lures readly and have a habbit of rolling like Tarpon.

Rajat, the author also makes a point of mentioning that the belly is uncommonly rich and well flavoured.

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The Cheetol or Clown Fish, does not belong to the Sheath Fish Family. The Walago Attu (Great White Sheath Fish) belongs to the family Siluridae (includes most catfish), while Knife Fish belong to Notopteridae .

You are right that they taste great. Most of its bones are in the hump and the belly portion makes a great fillet with just one bone. The Cheetol is sold anywhere between Rs500 to Rs1000.00 per Kg in certain Mumbai markets you may find one in the Spinach chain of stores.

They normally are found in clear non polluted waters with good water plants. They are great to hook on light tackle.

Thanks bobby and ROS some very interesting info there. I would love to catch one of them but one has to figure out where to go, for that looks like west Bengal is the only bet

u bet....rajat da....WB is the place to go after these elusive fish .....i have heard alot about them......but never seen anybody catching one....infact cheetol rate highest is my 'must catch' list ...!!!!

im lucky...

ive seen these fish here in pune at a certain pond .. bobby ive seen them roll like you said.. two gurkha chaps were catching them on worms at dusk...

We call it a Sital. Is it not the featherback? We buy this fish during Bihu festival. A delicacy foe the people of Assam.

well thats a good looking fish...

Now we Bongs should find that address of the Pond in Pune. Apoo it is a feather back you are right. Hamour hit the pond with light tackle you will be able to enjoy a good fight and a really good meal after that.

absolutely correct

buddies i can tell yall where the pond is , but i wouldnt suggest eating anything from there .

truth be told, the water is stagnant and is actually water collected in little stahnat pockets here and there , amidst the broken wall on a certain dam here , which broke in 1961 i think... those who know poona will have gotten the hint.

besides this the chitul i was there and they are there .. are about palm size..
i suppose with those gurkha chaps and other local handlining there , they dont get to be that big .


but i suppose one could catch a few for the aquarium .. they make pretty aquarium fish..

hey hamour
thats the place where i caught my first fish.....
and what i heard from people out there is they do catch good size fish from the dam
river also looked promising but had no means to check at that time....

hozefa dont say any more now ....

plus now you can get ones butt kicked if see hanging around or fishing there..

OOh! the game is afoot

hahahaha you guys....... the military policr roam around there and in recent times with all the unrest .. the place is even more tighter.

still my friend still

Hello everyone,

That is "chital"................can readily be found in almost all the big lakes of bengal.
Have millions of bones......less bones in the stomach part, thats why that part is only eatable.

"Muithya".........."Chital Peti(stomach)"...........bengali delicacy

Saiki

Hi Aircut,

There are a number of species of clown fish in India (genus Notopterus), and they vary from palm sized tiddlers to giants weighing over 30 lbs.

The smaller ones are known as Pari throughout the northern sub continent, and the big guys are known as cheetul. The dialect varies and so does the pronunciation.

They prefer clean calm waters, but are found in slow moving rivers and streams. They readily take lure and fly, but for their size have a very small mouth. One can often see them rolling on the surface of the water during feeding time, making big splashes.

However, the numbers are in rapid decline, and today, there is more mahseer than cheetul. Sorry state of affairs.

There are plenty to be found in MP. The remote areas.

The smaller ones (Notopterus Notopterus ) is no good eating, nor is it a good bait fish. Best left alone. If you do try for the big guys, use a surface popper or fly, and remember to release it after you've had your kodak moment. Not enough left in the wild.

We have cheetal in plenty here in Assam. They get really huge (7kgs is not uncommon). They are slightly tricky to catch.
The smaller clown knife fish species are easier to catch. We generally catch it using wasp larva.

Featherback??? Looks more of a Featherbelly to me :) But what a creation of GOD. Lovely looking fish.

DeZZ

Aaah... slurrrrp slurrrrp. Pardon me, but i absolutely love eating this fish. As Apoo has already mentioned, its a huge delicacy in Assam and during Bihu ( the harvest festival) prices sky rocket to almost Rs 400 per kilo !! Best part to eat is the belly. The rest of the fish is very bony, so it has to be deboned and mashed up, to make some seriously tasty bakes But yes the numbers are dwindling, and i have personally never caught one.

Seen some of these monsters in a waterbody in Kaziranga, where they are extremely plentiful and playful. Am also ready to bet that there are some monsters there, well over the 15kg mark. My folks saw one being sold in a fish market at a village, which occupied the entire length of a canoe not less than 8ft long !!!!