RESUMO
Channa punctatus is a common fresh water fish abundantly distributed in ponds, beels and canals of India. The fish is regularly consumed because of its high nutritional value. Heavy metals are common pollutants of the aquatic environment because of their persistent and tendency to concentrate in aquatic organisms. This freshwater fish is continuously exposed to arsenic toxicity as this metalloid enters the body through gills and arsenic contaminated food. Fresh water C. punctatus were exposed to different concentrations of sodium arsenite for varied span of time in controlled laboratory condition to measure physiological responses. Data is indicative of cellular stress in C. punctatus that may lead to decline population size in its natural habitat.