Home / Fishes / Gouramis, bettas, snakeheads / Obscure snakehead
Federal restrictions applyObscure snakehead
Parachanna obscura
Fishes › Gouramis, bettas, snakeheads (Anabantiformes) › Channidae (Snakeheads)
The obscure snakehead (Parachanna obscura) is a species of snakehead in the family Channidae.
Care at a glance
Species-specific aquarium care
- Tank: At least 78 in long and 39 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 19.7 in / 50 cm).
- Water: Freshwater.
- Temperature: 79–82°F (range recorded for this species).
- Layout: Lives on or near the bottom: floor space and hiding places matter more than height.
- Diet: A predator: feed meaty foods sized to its mouth (frozen fish, shrimp, worms); it will eat tankmates that fit in its mouth. FishBase classes it as a carnivore.
- Availability: Rarely or never seen in the aquarium trade; expect to source it from specialists or not at all.
Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.
Warnings
Care guide
Species care notes
- Tank: a base of at least 15 × 15 in (roughly 15 US gallons); space needed is rated “any tank”.
- Water: a fairly wide range, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, 79–86 °F, pH 6–7.5, 5–20 dGH.
- Behaviour: temperament predatory; not a community fish.
- Difficulty: Moderate (Seriously Fish rating).
Short excerpts from the species profile:
- Setup: “Loosely planted tank with floating cover and open areas for swimming.”
- Diet: “Almost exclusively carnivorous, preying on smaller fish and invertebrates in nature.”
From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167
Snakeheads
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Asian and African rivers. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- Not available legally in most of the U.S.
Diet
- Predatory: fish and meaty foods.
Health watch
- All snakeheads are federally listed injurious wildlife.
Understanding the animal
About this animal
About this animal
This species is found in central Africa along the western coastline from as far north as Senegal to as far south as Zaire and into southwest Sudan.
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Obscure snakehead” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174
In the wild
In the wild
From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.1
| Where it lives | Lives in freshwater, in rivers and streams. Stays near the bottom. Inhabits marginal vegetation and floodplains. Feeds on insects and small fish. |
| Water it lives in | Freshwater, 79–82 °F (26–28 °C). |
| Climate | Tropical climate. |
| Wild diet | Hunting macrofauna (predator). |
What this means for care
- Keep water within its wild range, 79–82 °F.
Native climate (measured)
Native climate (measured)
| Warm-season highs | about 89°F (up to 99°F in the hottest sampled areas) |
| Cool-season lows | about 67°F (down to 60°F in the coldest sampled areas) |
| Average temperature | 76–81°F across sampled records |
| Relative humidity | 74–83% on average (driest month about 73%) |
| Rainfall | about 1536 mm a year |
Measured at 179 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.
From the sources
From the sources
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Overview | The obscure snakehead (Parachanna obscura) is a species of snakehead in the family Channidae. This species is found in central Africa along the western coastline from as far north as Senegal to as far south as Zaire and into southwest Sudan. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Where it lives | Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase |
| Wild diet | Obscure snakeheads are carnivorous fish. Adults feed primarily on other fish up to half their size, while juveniles feed on insect larvae, insects, prawns, and copepods. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Appearance and size | Parachanna obscura is a medium-sized carnivorous fish with an elongated shape tapered on both ends, and is covered in medium circular (cycloid) scales. The head, resembling a snake, is long and depressed anteriorly and covered with cycloid scales slightly larger than those scales on the body. The eyes are laterally located and large, helping to locate its prey quickly. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Biology | Obligate air-breathing; Inhabits marginal vegetation and floodplains. Feeds on insects and small fish. Maximum SL reported 50.0 cm larger than maximum TL 45.5 cm. — FishBase |
Data and studies
The numbers
The numbers
Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.
Typical adult weight
Average adult body mass in each database (FishBase gives the maximum recorded weight).
Adult length
Maximum recorded length. Measured as standard length (snout to the base of the tail, not counting the tail fin). Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.
Water temperature
Range the species tolerates in nature; aim for the middle.
pH
Water hardness
Minimum tank footprint
Seriously Fish recommends a tank base of at least 15 × 15 in (about 15 US gallons).
Sources for this sheet
- FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
- Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
- 50 CFR Part 16: Injurious wildlife (Lacey Act) Zoo, university or veterinaryCurrent federal regulation, read from eCFR.
- U.S. Association of Reptile Keepers v. Zinke (D.C. Cir. 2017) Zoo, university or veterinaryAppeals ruling that the Lacey Act's shipping ban does not cover moves between the continental states.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Management of aquarium fish Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Types and features of aquatic systems Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Nutritional diseases of fish Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.
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