en Genetics Genetics پژوهشي Orginal research papers <span style="font-size:12pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="color:black">The genus Channa has many species including several cryptic species like the great snakehead (<i>Channa marulius</i>), locally known as &ldquo;Gajar&rdquo;, distributed across its natural distribution range of Southern and Southeast Asian countries including Bangladesh. This fish needs to be conserved but there is no information regarding the morphological variations in Bangladesh. This study reveals the morphometric traits and meristic counts of <i>C. marulius</i> collected from the lowland ecosystem in Bangladesh. A total of 67 samples were collected from 7 locations in Bangladesh to record morphological observations. This investigation was done on 6 meristic traits and 17 morphometric features. The fin formulae of <i>C. marulius</i> were dorsal 55-45, pectoral 19-14, pelvic 2-6, anal 37-28, and caudal C. 17-12. The lateral line is present which continued with 68-61 scales in a single line. All relationships (coefficient of determination, r²) of the morphological measurements were found significant statistically (<i>p</i>&le; 0.05) by analysis of variance. The r² value shows the length-length relationships by total length (TL) vs. standard length (SL) (TL=a+b&times;SL) as the best-fitted model among seventeen equations. The fifteen morphometric measurements were used for the classification of populations by discriminant function analysis and could separate the populations at <i>p</i><0.001 at a highly significant level.&nbsp; The principal component analysis showed that SL, TL, and LDFB (length of dorsal fin base) of the morphometric measurements were important for the phenotypic variation in <i>C. marulius</i> fish populations. Thus, three key characteristics can be used to know the populational variations of <i>C. marulius</i> in Bangladesh and these findings can be useful for making any comparisons with its related species.</span></span></span></span> Morpho-meristic character, Discriminant function analysis, Principal component analysis, Great snakehead population, Bangladesh 207 221 http://jifro.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-4460-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 R.F. Rakhi rakhiredayea@gmail.com 100319475328460051296 100319475328460051296 No MS Student, Dept. of Genetics and Fish Breeding, BSMRAU, Gazipur, Bangladesh A. Sultana afrozasultana134895@gmail.com 100319475328460051297 100319475328460051297 No MS Student, Dept. of Genetics and Fish Breeding, BSMRAU, Gazipur, Bangladesh M.G.Q. Khan khanmgq@bau.edu.bd 100319475328460051298 100319475328460051298 No Professor, Department of Fisheries Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Fisheries, Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU), Mymensingh, Bangladesh Z. Rahman zinia@bsmrau.edu.bd 100319475328460051299 100319475328460051299 No Associate Professor, Department of Genetics and Fish Breeding, Faculty of Fisheries, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University (BSMRAU), Gazipur, Bangladesh M. Hasan mhasan@bsfmstu.ac.bd 100319475328460051300 100319475328460051300 No Assistant Professor, Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Fisheries, Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Science & Technology University, Melandah, Jamalpur-2012, Bangladesh S.M. Rafiquzzaman rafiquzzaman@bsmrau.edu.bd 100319475328460051301 100319475328460051301 No Professor, Department of Fisheries Biology and Aquatic Environment, Faculty of Fisheries, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University (BSMRAU), Gazipur, Bangladesh M.S. Alam msalambd@bsmrau.edu.bd 100319475328460051302 100319475328460051302 Yes Associate Professor, Department of Genetics and Fish Breeding, Faculty of Fisheries, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University (BSMRAU), Gazipur, Bangladesh