Spotted snakehead (Channa punctata)

Scientific name: Channa punctata Bloch, 1793

The Spotted snakehead (Channa punctata) is a freshwater fish of the family Channidae. In the aquarium it needs water at 22–28°C (72–82°F). Native range: Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Yunnan in China.

Spotted snakehead care at a glance

Temperature: 22–28°C (72–82°F)

Biology

Found in ponds, swamps, brackish water, ditches and beels. Prefers stagnant waters in muddy streams. Feeds on worms, insects and small fish. Accepts chopped fish and shrimp in the aquarium. Breeds throughout the year. Mitochondrial hypertrophy, noted in the double cone of the retina of this species, is considered a basic process in oil droplet formation believed to be an adaptation for enhanced visual contrast detection in turbid waters. Used as live bait for angling larger snakeheads.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Channa punctata
Family: Channidae (Snakeheads)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 31.0
Common length: 15.0
Environment: Freshwater; brackish; benthopelagic; potamodromous
Climate: Tropical
Distribution: Asia: Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Yunnan in China.
Conservation status (IUCN): Least Concern (LC)
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries: commercial; aquaculture: commercial; aquarium: commercial; bait: occasionally
Resilience: Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.2; Fec=2,300)