Give The Snake A Break!

When it comes to snakeheads, myths and misinformation abound. Here are some of the key facts that people get wrong when considering these fascinating fish, including that one about size…

- Colin Dunlop

This won’t be the last time I ever make this statement — snakeheads of the Channa genus are misunderstood by most aquarists and the shops that sell them. First of all, let’s rid ourselves of the notion that snakeheads are some kind of ‘Fishzilla’, dragging your children to a watery doom, as perpetuated by some TV documentaries.

The vast majority of Channa species are available to anyone who can manage a reasonable sized aquarium. Yes, there are a few that can grow to over a metre in length, and these are unfortunately easy to get in the UK trade, but more and more people are realising that there are over 50 species, both described and undescribed to choose from, offering amazing behaviour and fishkeeping challenges.

Pioneering spirit

Snakeheads are split into two genera. Four species of Parachanna are African, with the remaining Channa in Asia. All are distant relatives to gouramis and bettas, and like them they carry a labyrinth organ. This allows atmospheric air breathing from the surface of the water, meaning that they can survive in situations where gills alone don’t meet their oxygen needs. The labyrinth also allows them to travel short distances across land, seeking out new areas of water.

A word of warning relating to this — their pioneering spirit means that you must, at all times, ensure that you have a tight-fitting lid on the aquarium or risk a fish going ‘carpet surfing’, and possibly killing itself in the process. They will find the smallest gap and leap out of the aquarium, so don’t leave the tops open!

They’re not all tropical!