Common name/s: Ceylonese green snakehead

Scientific name: Channa gachua

Family: Channidae

Origin: Asia

Maximum size: 12", 8" is a good size in captivity

Care: Can be kept alone or in a small group, minimum tank size for one would be 20g or 40g for a group though larger tanks would be better. They are not fussy of water parameters as long as the extreems of pH and hardness are avoided, keep the temperature between 22 and 26 centigrade (71-79f), as with all Channa species they are intollerant of salt and even small ammounts can kill them. Decorate the tank with dense plants and bogwood caves, if keeping more than one make sure there are two caves for each fish. The fish are predators and so tankmates should be equal sized or larger.

Feeding: Live and frozen meaty foods of all kinds, earth worms and crickets are favourites.

Sexing: Females are larger than males

Breeding: Once a pair has formed breeding is easy, the fish are mouth brooders and brood care is similar to that of cichlids, the fry can be fed on new born live bearer fry and small live foods.

Comments: The species is identical to Channa orientalis in all ways apart from C.orientalis has no ventral fins. All snakeheads are powerful jumpers so the tank needs a tight fitting heavy hood.

These fish often take gulps of air from the surface

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