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Federal restrictions applyIndonesian snakehead
Channa micropeltes
Fishes › Gouramis, bettas, snakeheads (Anabantiformes) › Channidae (Snakeheads)
Channa micropeltes, giant snakehead, giant mudfish or toman harimau, is among the largest species in the family Channidae, capable of growing to 1.8 m (5.9 ft) in length and a weight of 30 kg (66 lb).
Care at a glance
Species-specific aquarium care
- Tank: At least 96 in long and 39 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 19.7 in / 50 cm; the largest recorded was 51.2 in).
- Water: Freshwater.
- Temperature: 77–82°F (range recorded for this species).
- Layout: Uses both the bottom and open water: give open swimming space plus cover near the substrate.
- 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: Mostly kept by public aquariums; private keeping is uncommon.
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
- Water: a fairly wide range, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, 68–86 °F, pH 6–8, 2–20 dGH.
- Behaviour: temperament species tank; kept alone; not a community fish.
- Difficulty: Moderate (Seriously Fish rating).
Short excerpts from the species profile:
- Setup: “Relatively unfussy although some surface cover in the form of floating or overhanging vegetation or branches is appreciated.”
- Diet: “An obligate predator feeding on smaller fishes, amphibians, invertebrates and terrestrial insects in nature but in most cases adapts well to dead alternatives in captivity.”
- Tankmates: “Best-maintained in a species-specific aquarium, but can apparently be maintained alongside similarly-sized fishes if sufficient space is available.”
- Breeding: “Captive breeding has been achieved but an enormous amount of space and investment is required simply in order to produce a large number of juveniles with little-to-no monetary value.”
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
It is native to the fresh waters of Southeast Asia (South Indian populations are now regarded as a separate species, C. diplogramma), but has also been introduced elsewhere and is considered invasive in Taiwan. Other names include shol machh (শোল মাছ ) in Bengali, red snakehead, redline snakehead, and ikan toman (where ikan is fish in Malay and Indonesian).
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Channa micropeltes” (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, lakes. Uses both the bottom and open water. Occurs in lowland river and swamp. |
| Water it lives in | Freshwater, 77–82 °F (25–28 °C). |
| Climate | Tropical climate. |
| Wild diet | Hunting macrofauna (predator). |
What this means for care
- Keep water within its wild range, 77–82 °F.
Native climate (measured)
Native climate (measured)
| Warm-season highs | about 90°F (up to 96°F in the hottest sampled areas) |
| Cool-season lows | about 68°F (down to 55°F in the coldest sampled areas) |
| Average temperature | 73–82°F across sampled records |
| Relative humidity | 74–81% on average (driest month about 73%) |
| Rainfall | about 2092 mm a year |
Measured at 108 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 | Channa micropeltes, giant snakehead, giant mudfish or toman harimau, is among the largest species in the family Channidae, capable of growing to 1.8 m in length and a weight of 30 kg. It is native to the fresh waters of Southeast Asia (South Indian populations are now regarded as a separate species, C. diplogramma), but has also been introduced elsewhere and is considered invasive in Taiwan. Other names include shol machh (শোল মাছ ) in Bengali, red snakehead, redline snakehead, and ikan toman (where ikan is fish in Malay and Indonesian). — 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 |
| Biology | Obligate air-breathing; Adults occur in lowland river and swamp. Usually associated with deep water bodies. They are found in large streams and canals, with standing or slowly flowing water. — 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
Common length to 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
Veterinary & husbandry research
Veterinary & husbandry research
- Environmental DNA detection of giant snakehead in Thailand's major rivers for wild stock assessment Osathanunkul M et al., PloS one 2022
- Sustainable aquaculture side-streams derived hybrid biocomposite for bone tissue engineering Wang JK et al., Materials science & engineering. C, Materials for biological applications 2021
- Concurrent infections of Streptococcus iniae and Aeromonas veronii in farmed Giant snakehead (Channa micropeltes) Pulpipat T et al., Journal of fish diseases 2023
- Antibiotic resistance profiles of sentinel bacteria isolated from aquaculture in Cambodia Peng C et al., Journal of water and health 2024
Peer-reviewed papers that mention this species alongside captivity, zoos, veterinary care or aquaculture. Some cover several species or mention it only in passing, so check the abstract. 170
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.
- PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Peer-reviewed researchIndex of peer-reviewed veterinary, zoo and husbandry research.
- 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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