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Federal restrictions apply

Barca snakehead

Channa barca

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

The Barca snakehead (Channa barca) is a rare species of snakehead.

Aquarium hobby

Experience: Expert / facility

FamilySnakeheads

Adult lengthup to 41.3 in

WaterFreshwater

Care at a glance

Species-specific aquarium care

Tank: An adult reaches about 41.3 in (105 cm). That needs a pond or public-aquarium-scale system, far beyond a home aquarium.
Water: Freshwater.
Layout: Uses both the bottom and open water: give open swimming space plus cover near the substrate.

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

Water: a fairly wide range, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, 50–82 °F, pH 6–8, 2–20 dGH.
Behaviour: temperament species tank; in a pair; 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 which probably feeds on smaller fishes and insects in nature but in most cases adapts well to dead alternatives in captivity.”
Tankmates: “Best-maintained in a species-specific aquarium.”
Breeding: “Unrecorded but likely to be a mouthbrooder.”

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 endemic to the upper Brahmaputra River basin in northeastern India and Bangladesh. Records from Nepal are of doubtful validity.

Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Barca snakehead” (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. Uses both the bottom and open water. Found in large rivers. Considered as an excellent food fish.
Water it lives in	Freshwater.
Climate	Subtropical climate.

FishBase species summary: Channa barca

Native climate (measured)

Warm-season highs	about 91°F (up to 101°F in the hottest sampled areas)
Cool-season lows	about 53°F (down to 50°F in the coldest sampled areas)
Average temperature	76–79°F across sampled records
Relative humidity	73–77% on average (driest month about 60%)
Rainfall	about 1776 mm a year, with strong wet and dry seasons

Measured at 6 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	The Barca snakehead (Channa barca) is a rare species of snakehead. It is endemic to the upper Brahmaputra River basin in northeastern India and Bangladesh. Records from Nepal are of doubtful validity. Overall it has been assessed as data deficient by the IUCN, and in 2014 it was assessed as critically endangered in Bangladesh by the IUCN. — 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
Behavior	The barca snakehead is only known from the upper Brahmaputra River basin the Assam and Nagaland in India, and Sylhet in Bangladesh. Records from Nepal are of doubtful validity. It mostly inhabits wetlands, often near the margins, but can also be seen in riverine habitats. — Wikipedia (community-edited)
Biology	Obligate air-breathing; Found in large rivers. Considered as an excellent food fish. — 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.

Adult length

Average of sources38.3in

FishBase 16441.3

Seriously Fish species profiles 16735.4

Maximum recorded length. Measured as total length. Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.

Water temperature

Reported50–82°F

Seriously Fish species profiles 16750–82

Range the species tolerates; aim for the middle.

pH

Reported6–8

Seriously Fish species profiles 1676–8

Water hardness

Reported2–20dGH

Seriously Fish species profiles 1672–20

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:

Has a Seriously Fish aquarium species profile
FishBase records it in the aquarium trade (Aquarium=commercial)
7 iNaturalist observations of captive animals

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.
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.