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. It is sometimes known as the Indian featherback or Indian knifefish.[1] In the past, it frequently included several related Chitala species, but these are now regarded as separate species.[2] 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.[1] The true C. chitala is very rare in the aquarium trade.[1]
C. chitala reaches a maximum length of 122cm (48inches), but more commonly reaches about 75cm (30inches). 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.[1] [2] 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.[1] [2]
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.[3]
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.[4]