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Federal restrictions apply

Striped snakehead

Channa striata

Also known as Mudfish, Murrel, Pongee, Striped snake head murrel, Asian Snakehead, Common Snakehead

Fishes › Gouramis, bettas, snakeheads (Anabantiformes) › Channidae (Snakeheads)

Channa striata, the striped snakehead, is a species of snakehead fish.

Aquarium hobby

Experience: Expert / facility

FamilySnakeheads

Adult lengthup to 39.4 in

WaterFreshwater, brackish

HabitatLives in freshwater and brackish water

Care at a glance

Species-specific aquarium care

Tank: At least 120 in long and 48 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 24.0 in / 61 cm; the largest recorded was 39.4 in).
Water: Freshwater (tolerates brackish).
Temperature: 73–81°F (range recorded for this species).
pH: 7–8.
Hardness: 0–20 dGH.
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

Federal legal status: Federal restrictions apply. See the federal legal snapshot and check your state rules before getting one.

Care guide

Species care notes

Behaviour: in a pair; not a community fish.
Difficulty: Difficult (Seriously Fish rating).

Short excerpts from the species profile:

Diet: “An obligate predator which feeds on invertebrates, amphibians, and smaller fishes in nature but in most cases adapts well to dead alternatives in captivity.”
Breeding: “This species is a biparental free spawner.”

From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167

Group care guide

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.

Sources 117 119 164 118 177

Diet

Predatory: fish and meaty foods.

Sources 117 119 164 118 177

Health watch

All snakeheads are federally listed injurious wildlife.

Sources 117 119 164 118 177

Understanding the animal

About this animal

It is also known as the common snakehead, chevron snakehead, or snakehead murrel and generally referred simply as mudfish. It is native to South and Southeast Asia, and has been introduced to some Pacific Islands.

Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Channa striata” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174

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 and brackish water, in rivers and streams, lakes, rice paddies. Uses both the bottom and open water. Adults inhabit ponds, streams and rivers, preferring stagnant and muddy water of plains.
Water it lives in	Freshwater / brackish water, 73–81 °F (23–27 °C), pH 7–8, hardness 20 dH, depth 1–10 m.
Climate	Tropical climate.
Wild diet	Hunting macrofauna (predator).
Behavior to plan for	Breeding: clutch tenders.

What this means for care

Keep water within its wild range, 73–81 °F.
It tolerates or needs brackish water; check salinity needs before setup.

FishBase species summary: Channa striata

Native climate (measured)

Warm-season highs	about 91°F (up to 97°F in the hottest sampled areas)
Cool-season lows	about 67°F (down to 52°F in the coldest sampled areas)
Average temperature	72–82°F across sampled records
Relative humidity	73–82% on average (driest month about 70%)
Rainfall	about 2040 mm a year

Measured at 526 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

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 striata, the striped snakehead, is a species of snakehead fish. It is also known as the common snakehead, chevron snakehead, or snakehead murrel and generally referred simply as mudfish. It is native to South and Southeast Asia, and has been introduced to some Pacific Islands. Reports from Madagascar and Hawaii are misidentifications of C. maculata. — 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
Social life and communication	Channa striata have eyes and can see, but given the turbid habitats they live in, they may also use other senses to find prey and mates. — Animal Diversity Web
Behavior	Channa striata is a solitary, territorial fish. — Animal Diversity Web
Reproduction	Breeds in ditches, ponds and flooded paddy fields. Young shoal at the surface and are guarded by the male parent, hiding below the surface water. In captivity, as soon as the male bends its body close to the female during mating, milt is released following the release of the eggs. — FishBase
Lifespan	There is not enough information or research completed to know the lifespan of the striped snakehead. — Animal Diversity Web
Appearance and size	Maximum length 100.0 cm sl male/unsexed; maximum published weight 3.0 kg. — FishBase
Biology	Obligate air-breathing; Adults inhabit ponds, streams and rivers, preferring stagnant and muddy water of plains. Found mainly in swamps, but also occurs in the lowland rivers. More common in relatively deep (1-2 m), still water. — FishBase

Data and studies

The numbers

Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.

Typical adult weight

Reported6.6lb

FishBase 1646.6

Average adult body mass in each database (FishBase gives the maximum recorded weight).

Adult length

Average of sources17.9–25.6in

FishBase 16424–39.4

Seriously Fish species profiles 16711.8

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

Reported73–81°F

FishBase 16473–81

Range the species tolerates in nature; aim for the middle.

pH

Reported7–8

FishBase 1647–8

Veterinary & husbandry research

Isolation of Lactic Acid Bacteria from Intestine of Freshwater Fishes and Elucidation of Probiotic Potential for Aquaculture Application Govindaraj K et al., Probiotics and antimicrobial proteins 2021
Understanding the gastrointestinal physiology and responses to feeding in air-breathing Anabantiform fishes Goodrich HR et al., Journal of fish biology 2020
Effect of hormonal stimulation on captive broodstock maturation, induced breeding and spawning performance of striped snakehead, Channa striata (Bloch, 1793) Kumar R et al., Animal reproduction science 2021
Determination of lethal dose of Aeromonas hydrophila Ah17 strain in snake head fish Channa striata Samayanpaulraj V et al., Microbial pathogenesis 2019

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. See all 23 on PubMed → 170

Federal legal snapshot

Federal restrictions apply

Federal injurious wildlife (Lacey Act). Listed in 50 CFR 16.13. Importing it into the U.S., or shipping it to or from Hawaii, Puerto Rico or U.S. territories, is prohibited without a USFWS permit (issued only for zoological, educational, medical or scientific purposes). Under USARK v. Zinke (2017), the federal rule does not bar moving animals between the 49 continental states, but many states ban these species themselves. 177 189

State law decides most of it. Each state sets its own permits and bans for exotic, native, venomous and dangerous animals, and cities and counties can be stricter. Find your state agency →

Not covered by the Animal Welfare Act

The Act only covers warm-blooded animals. Reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates have no federal care standards, even at licensed facilities; state and local rules may still apply.

Kept in captivity?

Every species on this site needs evidence that people actually keep it. For this one:

FishBase records it in the aquarium trade (Aquarium=public aquariums; Aquaculture=commercial)
75 iNaturalist observations of captive animals
Has a Seriously Fish aquarium species profile

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.