Bony fish · Perciformes · Channidae

Snakehead Murrel

Channa striata

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

Channa striata is a snakehead fish. It is also known as the common snakehead, chevron snakehead and striped snakehead. It is native to South and South East Asia, and has been introduced onto some Pacific islands.

Weight

up to 3 kg

Size

up to 1 m

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Fun facts

  • It is an obligate air breather and survives the dry season buried in the mud, living off its fat reserves as long as its skin and breathing apparatus stay damp.
  • The male guards the shoal of fry, which stays just below the surface.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type
Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bony fish)
Habitat & environment
Swamps, flooded paddy fields, canals and slow rivers of turbid, stagnant water in South and South-East Asia, between 1 and 10 m and mostly between 1 and 2 m
Sexual maturity
Length at first maturity 18 cm

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Channa_striata

Where to watch it

Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 10 de 18 documentados.

Related species

Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Snakehead Murrel — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.

Keep exploring

Based on what we already know about snakehead murrel.

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