Edit Channa argus
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Name
Scientific name
Channa argus
Described by
Authority Cantor, Year 1842
Family
Channidae
Summary
The northern snakehead, Channa argus, is a large snakehead native to eastern China, southeastern Russia and the Korean peninsula. Growing t…
Size and aquarium
Maximum size
850mm, standard length
Tank size
Not recorded
Water
Temperature and pH
Temperature 0–30°C, pH 6–8
Hardness
5–25dGH
Conductivity
Not recorded
Behaviour
Temperament
Not recorded
Social needs
Solitary or specimen
Community suitability
Not for a community
Where it lives
Countries
China, Japan, North Korea, Russia, South Korea, United States
Supporting text
Etymology
Channa: from the Latin channe, used to refer to an unspecified species of sea perch.
Distribution
Native to the lower Yellow and Yangtze river systems in eastern China, Amur drainage in southeastern Russia and eastern China, and various rivers of the Korean…
Habitat
A generalist which has been collected in many different types of habitat although it does tend to avoid very fast-flowing water. Like others in the genus it ca…
Aquarium size
Suitable only for public installations or the very largest private aquaria.
Maintenance
Relatively unfussy although some surface cover in the form of floating or overhanging vegetation or branches is appreciated. It's essential to use a tightly-fi…
Water conditions
Not written yet
Diet
An obligate predator feeding on smaller fishes, amphibians, crustaceans and other invertebrates in nature but in most cases adapting well to dead alternatives …
Behaviour and compatibility
Not written yet
Sexual dimorphism
Not written yet
Reproduction
Unrecorded in aquaria but bred in large scale outdoor aquaculture projects in China. In nature spawning occurs in late spring to early summer.
Notes
This species is largely unsuitable for the home aquarium given its eventual size and natural behaviour, and we know of only a handful of private aquarists with…
References
References
3 on this profile