Order Perciformes
Suborder Channoidei
Family Channidae
Genus Channa.
Snakeheads are able to inhabit water bodies with very low oxygen content. But for this, they need to periodically surface to gulp air with a loud smacking sound. A special suprabranchial organ helps fish assimilate oxygen. The suprabranchial organ has a chamber above the gills, similar to, but more primitive than the labyrinth organ in Anabantoids.
This adaptation allows snakeheads to survive the most adverse conditions they encounter in their natural environment with low oxygen levels, poor water, and living conditions. It also helps the snakehead to go without water and crawl to another water body if necessary.
In humid air at a temperature of 10-15°C, the fish can live for three days without water. Snakeheads need to breathe atmospheric water at regular intervals to survive. If access to the surface is not provided, the fish will drown, just like their Anabantoid relatives.
Unfortunately, too many people have had a bad experience working with snakeheads, mainly with Channa micropeltis. It is hard to believe that small red striped fish will grow into a “monster” that will eat all other fish in the aquarium. Many snakeheads are not suitable for a medium-sized aquarium, however, there are smaller species that can be kept in medium-sized aquariums.
Even medium and large snakeheads can be successfully kept if certain rules are followed. First, one should know that keeping the fish in a community with other fish in an aquarium is out of the question. These fish are predators and will eventually eat most other fish.
Depending on the number of fish, miniature aquariums for snakeheads should have from 100 to 200 liters of water. Ideally, a pair needs about 100 liters of water. The ideal aquarium for snakeheads should be densely planted and structured with stones and driftwood, with a sufficient number of hiding places. This is necessary to provide weaker fish when kept in a group or in a pair with a female where they can retreat. Slate is the best stone material.
Plants are best planted in pots and, if necessary, surrounded with stones. With large snakeheads, planting is useless because, for example, Channa micropeltis will destroy any vegetation due to its huge body size. These fish are best kept alone with large artificial plants and large pieces of wood. It is also important to have secure lids, as they really can escape. Populate the water surface with floating plants. Empty aquariums are not suitable for growing and keeping snakeheads!
A sudden change in water chemistry is probably the most frequent cause of their death. They react very painfully (especially juveniles) to the addition of too much fresh water. Water should be changed frequently and in small portions. It is also necessary to have powerful water filtration, as fish produce large amounts of pollutants due to their metabolism, which affects water quality. Excellent results are produced by covering the bottom with beech leaves and bio-leaves, which is beneficial for the fish’s health.
Most snakeheads readily accept food on the first day they are placed in the aquarium. When feeding, snakeheads strike their prey and immediately release air through the gills. This creates a vacuum that literally sucks the food or prey into the mouth. Ideal foods are shrimp of all sizes, mussels, mollusks, fish (fry), earthworms, and most frozen foods offered in pet stores. Small snakeheads from dwarf species are best started with bloodworms and Artemia. Feed the fish three to four times a week to reduce the volume and organic pollution of the aquarium.
If snakeheads are kept from an early age together with other large fish, they get used to it and behave relatively well as adults. Nevertheless, they will continue to try to catch every newly introduced fish, even if it does not fit in the mouth. In this case, they very quickly realize that this prey must be left alone. If necessary, fish that are repeatedly attacked should be removed from the aquarium. Once the fish form a pair, they will remain companions for life. Unfortunately, sexual dimorphism in these fish is not expressed, and forming a pair is great luck.
— Chinese Snakehead — Channa asiatica [Linnaeus, 1758]. Synonym: Channa formosana, sinensis, ocellata. Sri Lanka, China (Yangtze River), Northern Vietnam in the Red River basin. 25 cm, in aquarium 15-20 cm. Pelvic fins are absent. Males darken during spawning. Sexual dimorphism in these fish is not expressed.
Prefers twilight, likes to hide in shelters made of stones and driftwood. The large mouth is armed with impressive teeth, which the fish uses without hesitation upon spotting anything resembling food. Very aggressive towards others and conspecifics, it is one of the most aggressive snakeheads; removing one of the fish is often necessary after spawning to prevent partners from killing each other. The snakehead does not touch commensurable fish, but often suffers from large cichlids. The best neighbors would be large, but peaceful fish.
They begin to sort things out at a size of 5-6 cm. Snakeheads do not tear each other’s fins and do not lock mouths like cichlids and other fish; they deliver powerful blows to the flank, after which whitish marks and peeled scales remain. In the aquarium, provide more hiding places: driftwood, stones, ceramics, plants. In this case, the injured one will have somewhere to hide. T 18-24°C; pH 6.0-7.5.
— Channa bankanensis [Bleeker, 1852]. Synonym: Ophiocephalus bankanensis. Indonesia, Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo. 22 cm. Back brown, belly white with a silvery sheen and scattered dark brown specks. In the center of the body is a series of spots and stripes passing in a line through the body, clearer in males. Unpaired fins brownish with a row of black spots at the base.
Pectoral fins with dark speckles. The rear part of the body in mature females during the spawning period is redder than in males, in which it is dark brown. Numerous silver dots are scattered across the body of males. Large oval-conical teeth. Juveniles are pale ochre with two dark brown longitudinal stripes.
Can be quite aggressive among conspecifics, does not tolerate other fish, even much larger fish can be torn apart. Best kept in a species aquarium at a temperature of 22-25°C. Aquarium with rich vegetation and many hiding places. Lighting not bright. pH below 6; dH up to 10°.
— Rainbow Snakehead — Channa bleheri [Vierke, 1991]. India, Brahmaputra River basin. 15-20 cm. They have no pelvic fins. They have a greenish-brown body color with large irregular red and orange spots and iridescent stripes that sometimes merge. Pectoral fins with a bright tiger pattern, and the dorsal fin is blue with orange edges. Orange specks on the rounded caudal fin.
Males are brighter and larger, and they grow faster than females. In juveniles, the back and sides of the body are lemon-yellow, with dark stripes on the head, from the tip of the lower jaw, through the eye to the gill cover. With age, their color becomes paler and an ocellated spot appears on the back of the dorsal fin.
Aggressive, predatory fish that can be fed exclusively on meaty products such as shrimp, mussels, etc. Do not eat dry food. Any small fish will be considered food. A dimly lit aquarium with plenty of floating plants, slight water movement, and plenty of hiding places is ideal for this fish.
One of the most peaceful snakeheads; territorial disputes may arise with other conspecifics, but it rarely comes to serious clashes. This species can be kept in pairs or even small groups in large aquariums, but fights should be anticipated by providing everyone with hiding places. Do not place together with small fish that can fit in its mouth.
In natural conditions, they live in rather unfavorable conditions, so water quality is not of primary importance, but due to a high-protein diet, good filtration and regular weekly water changes are required. Carnivorous, feed exclusively on meaty products. Live up to 8 years. T 15-27°C; pH 7.0-7.8; dH 10-25°.
Identification: Rainbow Snakehead — Channa bleheri.
— Dwarf Snakehead — Channa gachua [Hamilton, 1822]. Synonym: Ophicephalus gachua, limbatus, marginatus. Sri Lanka, India, China, Thailand, Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia. 15-17 cm. Very similar to Channa orientalis. The head is wider than the body. Specimens from ponds with decaying vegetation are very dark with red fins, while fish in ponds with sandy bottoms are light-colored with pale orange fins.
There are so many variants that it is often very difficult to identify a variant without knowing its origin. The caudal fin is wide and elliptical. The upper part of the body is greenish, and the underside is dirty white. 8-12 oblique dark stripes run along the sides, widening downwards, almost to the base of the anal fin.
These stripes intersect four narrow longitudinal stripes that run on both sides of the base of the dorsal fin. The throat is pale bluish-green. A dark stripe extends from the snout through the eyes to the gills, and another runs from the front nostrils along the upper jaw. Sometimes a series of small black dots are found on the sides of the head and body.
The dorsal and caudal fins are greenish. The dorsal, anal, and caudal fins have a red or yellow border. The dorsal fin has two upper and lower longitudinal pale olive-brown stripes separated from each other by a bluish-green zone. Caudal fin with light transverse stripes. Pectoral fins are pale brown, with six dark transverse stripes.
The anal fin is pale bluish-green, with black edges, and the tips of the rays are white. Pelvic fins are of a uniform pale yellow color. Juveniles are pale yellow or reddish with an orange lateral stripe from the snout to the caudal fin. Fins are pale yellow.
Are one of the most suitable species of the genus Channa for an aquarium. Can be kept with other species of similar size and temperament, but will eat small fish. Can be kept as a pair or group in large aquariums. At first, it is best to plant a group of 6 or more fish, a pair should form from them, and once the pair is formed, it is advisable to quickly remove all other fish from the aquarium. Outside of breeding, they can quite well live side by side and rarely disturb other fish, however, if the pair goes to breed, aggression in the aquarium rises sharply.
The water must be filtered, the aquarium should be densely planted with plants and several hiding places for the fish to hide. Carnivorous, in nature they feed only on live food, but well adapt to frozen and live aquarium foods, as well as shrimp, mussels, and bloodworms in captivity. Do not eat dry food. The fish is very hardy and extremely active moving in jumps on the ground. Fish literally walk on their pectoral fins. T 13-26°C; pH 6.0-7.5; dH 5-15°.
Channa micropeltes, orientalis, pulchra, punctata, stewartii.
Parachanna obscura, African dwarf snakehead. 
