Amur snakehead (Channa argus warpachowskii)

Scientific name: Channa argus warpachowskii Berg, 1909

The Amur snakehead (Channa argus warpachowskii) is a freshwater fish of the family Channidae. In the aquarium it needs water at 4–20°C (39–68°F).

Amur snakehead care at a glance

Temperature
4–20°C (39–68°F)

Biology

Is a typical ambush predator that lies in wait for its prey on the bottom. Hunts mainly in the morning and in the evening, feeding primarily on fish.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Channa argus warpachowskii
Family
Channidae (Snakeheads)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
80.0
Environment
Freshwater; benthopelagic
Climate
Temperate
Distribution
Former USSR: Lake Khanka. Middle and lower Amur. Absent from the Suifun River. Introduced into Aral Basin in the 1960's and quickly became widely dispersed in the lower stretches of Amu Darya, Syr Darya and Kashka-Darya rivers. Now also introduced into the Talas and Chu rivers.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: public aquariums
Resilience
Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.13-0.14; Fec=22,000-1155,000)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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