Parachanna is a genus of snakeheads native to freshwater habitats in tropical Africa. Three recognized extant (living) species are in this genus, but a phylogenetic study from 2017 indicates that a fourth, currently undescribed species also exists.
One fossil species, Parachanna fayumensis <small>Murray, 2006</small> dated to the Upper Eocene and Lower Oligocene is known from the Jebel Qatrani Formation of the Fayum Depression, Egypt.
Species
The three recognized extant species in this genus are:
- Parachanna africana <small>(Steindachner, 1879)</small> (African snakehead)
- Parachanna insignis <small>(Sauvage, 1884)</small> (brown snakehead)
- Parachanna obscura <small>(Günther, 1861)</small> (obscure snakehead)