The Snakehead Forum

Scientific Name: Channa micropeltes


Known Common or Trade Names: The Red Snakehead.
Giant Snakehead.
Redline Snakehead.
Malabar Snakehead.
Ikan Toman (Malaysia).
Pla Chado (Thailand).
Pla melang Pu (Bangkok, Thailand).
Trey Diep (Juvenile, Cambodia).
Trey Chhdaur (Adult, Cambodia).
It is important to understand that common names can be applied to many individual species and does not guarantee the correct identification of the fish in question.


Original Description: Georges Cuvier, 1831 (French naturalist and zoologist).
Pre dorsal scales 22.
Dorsal fin rays 43-46.
Anal fin rays 27-30.
Pectoral rays 15.
Pelvic rays 6.


Distribution: Thailand. Laos (Mekong Basin). Vietnam. Malaysia. Sumatra.
Generally occupies open water, lakes, canals and rivers.



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Size: Max. known 150cm, more normal appears to be 90-110cm, reported as capable of reaching their maximum size in aquarium environments.


Description: The lower 3rd of the body is white in colour.
The remainder of the body is dark in colour (green, blue or black).
There are irregular spots normally on the side, sometimes this can look like a broad dark stripe laterally down the side of the body.
A patch of scales in the gular area.
Pointed and flattened head from above
Large mouth
Lower jaw with several canine-like teeth behind a single row of villiform teeth, the Latter expanding to about 5 rows at the jaw symphysis.
Large canine teeth on prevomer and palatines








Juvenile Description: Juvenile Channa micropeltes are coloured red initially after about two months they develop orange and black lateral stripes.
As Channa micropeltes matures, they lose this striping.






Sexual Differences: Females slightly larger and Plumper.


Water Parameters: A tropical Snakehead should be kept at 25-28c, pH of around 7 is fine, just avoid extremes of pH.
A word of warning when doing water changes during winter periods, it has been reported that on large water changes, when the water temp drops rapidly that these Channa have literally turned over and died in seconds. So small water changes to keep water temp up are recommended.


Tanks size: 180x75x60cm (LxWxH) should be the absolute minimum for a fully grown adult.
A 240x90x60cm is a more suitable tank for a fish of this size.


Suggested Tanks setup: A large tank with plenty of open swimming room, some top cover (floating plants) to make it feel secure would be beneficial, some other plants would be good. A gravel bottom, because sand would be disturbed by such a large fish which could get sucked into filtration systems.
A large filtration system due to the waste produced by such a large predator.
As with all snakeheads a secure lid.


Conspecific aggression: Very Aggressive. Will not tolerate other Snakeheads in its territory at all.


Compatibility: Not recommended.
When juvenile will co-habit with most fish of equal size, when it starts to mature at around 25-30cm it will kill absolutely anything in the tank.
It is always recommended that to get the best in both behaviour and appearance it is best to keep Snakeheads in a species only tank and unless a pair is formed with the majority of species a single fish.


Preferred Diet: Channa micropeltes is a piscivore in the wild, has also been known to eat small rodants and birds.
In captivity this Channa will eat anything that is put in the tank (including unwary fish keeper body parts)
A varied diet based on Fish is recommended.


Breeding: When Channa micropeltes spawn, the eggs rise to the surface where they are guarded fiercely by the parents.
The parents continue to guard the fry for an unknown amount of time.
Breeding has reportedly been achieved in an aquarium, after being well fed and a temperature rise over 2 weeks.


Availability: Not readily available anymore, thankfuly as the junenile fish are very pretty, these used to be brought by fishkeepers who were unaware of the size fish these grow to.
Expect to pay less than £10 for a small juvenile.


Additional Info:
Special thanks to Seiichi Hamada for the use of his fantastic photos.
also thanks to various members of this forum especially Colb for information.


Author: Karl Hatton http://www.snakeheadsuk.com & http://thesnakeheadforum.com 2009