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Federal restrictions apply

Blotched snakehead

Channa maculata

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

The blotched snakehead (Channa maculata) is a species of snakehead.

Aquarium hobby

Experience: Expert / facility

FamilySnakeheads

Adult lengthup to 11.8 in

WaterFreshwater

HabitatLives in freshwater

Care at a glance

Species-specific aquarium care

Tank: At least 24 in long and 12 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 4.3 in / 11 cm; the largest recorded was 7.9 in).
Water: Freshwater.
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.

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

This species is part of a group that hobbyists, aviculturists or zoos keep widely (Snakeheads), so it's included for completeness. It may be rare in captivity itself, or not kept at all. Use the group guide as a starting point and look for species-specific advice from experienced keepers.

About this animal

It is one of four species of the genus Channa native to China. It is also native to northern Vietnam and Taiwan, but has been widely introduced to other countries, where it is an invasive species.

Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Blotched 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, in rivers and streams, lakes, rice paddies. Uses both the bottom and open water. Adults inhabit silty and weedy bottoms of rivers and ponds or lakes.
Water it lives in	Freshwater.
Climate	Tropical climate.
Wild diet	Hunting macrofauna (predator).
Behavior to plan for	Breeding: nesters.

FishBase species summary: Channa maculata

Native climate (measured)

Warm-season highs	about 89°F (up to 91°F in the hottest sampled areas)
Cool-season lows	about 51°F (down to 34°F in the coldest sampled areas)
Average temperature	60–75°F across sampled records
Relative humidity	75–81% on average (driest month about 71%)
Rainfall	about 1712 mm a year

Measured at 60 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 blotched snakehead (Channa maculata) is a species of snakehead. It is one of four species of the genus Channa native to China. It is also native to northern Vietnam and Taiwan, but has been widely introduced to other countries, where it is an invasive species. This predatory species typically grows to a length of 20–30 cm, but it has been confirmed at 33 cm and some suggest it may reach a far larger size. — 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
Reproduction	Distinct pairing during breeding in shallow freshwater areas amid plants. — FishBase
Biology	Obligate air-breathing; Adults inhabit silty and weedy bottoms of rivers and ponds or lakes. They feed on crustaceans, large insects, frogs and fishes. Recorded as having been or being farmed in rice fields. — 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 sources8.1–9.9in

FishBase 1644.3–7.9

Seriously Fish species profiles 16711.8

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

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 (Aquaculture=commercial)
24 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.

Blotched snakehead

Care at a glance

Species-specific aquarium care

Warnings

Care guide

Species care notes

Snakeheads

Housing & setup

Diet

Health watch

Understanding the animal

About this animal

In the wild

Native climate (measured)

From the sources

Data and studies

The numbers

Adult length

Sources for this sheet

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