[uNGu]™ Fish : Channa gachua - Dwarf snakehead, Brown snakehead

Channa gachua juvenile		Channa gachua juvenile
© JJPhoto		© JJPhoto

Family Channidae Distribution Sri Lanka, Indonesia (Bali), India, China, Thailand, Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia, Habitat Maximum Standard Length 10" (25cm), but usually smaller in aquaria. Minimum Tank Size 36" x 12" x 12" Tank Setup A densley planted aquarium with lots of hiding places and some floating plants is best for this fish. The tank must be well-covered as these fish are very good jumpers. Temperature 72-79F (22-26C) pH Range 6.0-7.0 Hardness 5-15 Diet Carnivorous and enjoys live foods but adapts well to frozen food such as prawns, bloodworm and mussel in captivity. Will not accept dried foods. Compatibility Can be kept with other species of a similar size and nature but will predate on smaller fish. Can be maintained as a pair or species group in a larger aquarium. Sexual Dimorphism Females have rounder bellies. Males exhibit greater colouration in the dorsal, anal and caudal fins. Breeding Fairly easy. Mouthbrooding eggfeeder. Notes If you wish to breed Channa gachuabuy a group and allow a pair to form naturally as this species mates for life. Water parameters are not massively important but avoid extremes. Mating occurs in a similar fashion to anabantoids, with the pair sharing an embrace during which the eggs are released and fertilised. For several days prior to the act itself the fish will be seen in close contact and may share mock spawning embraces. After the eggs have been released they float to the surface where the male takes them into his mouth. The young are released after 3 days and the parents follow them around the aquarium guarding them. The female feeds her brood using "feeder eggs". These are infertile, non-floating eggs which she expels at regular intervals over the first month of the young's life. It is thought that this strategy ensures the fry remain well-fed in the nutrient-deprived waters in which these fish are often found in nature. This is the most widely distributed channa species and it's range stretches over a huge area of Southern Asia, from Iran to China. It is found in many diverse habitats, from mountain streams to polluted ponds. It has even been recorded in tidal waters and in the hot springs of Kanniya, Sri Lanka, where water temperatures ranges from boiling to freezing in the space of 600 square feet! This hardiness coupled with the ability to cross land when it is wet has probably contributed to its distribution. Contrary to some reports all Channa gachuado possess ventral fins. It also appears that several different species are currently being referred to as gachua as it has been found that all the different variants of this species have differing genetic backgrounds. Until the species is revised they are all Channa gachuahowever.