Edit Channa bleheri
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Name
Scientific name
Channa bleheri
Described by
Authority Vierke, Year 1991
Family
Channidae
Common names
Rainbow snakehead
Photograph credits
All 15 credited
Summary
The rainbow snakehead, Channa bleheri, is a snakehead endemic to the Brahmaputra basin in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, northeastern India. …
Size and aquarium
Maximum size
170mm, standard length
Aquarium size
Minimum length 120 cm, Minimum depth 30 cm
Water
Water conditions
Temperature 14–28°C, pH 6–8
Hardness
2–20dGH
Conductivity
Not recorded
Behaviour
Temperament
Peaceful
Social needs
A pair
Community suitability
Not for a community
Where it lives
Countries, regions, rivers and lakes
India, Brahmaputra, Dikrong
Writing
Etymology
Channa: from the Latin channe, used to refer to an unspecified species of sea perch. bleheri: named for German fish collector Heiko Bleher, who collected the t…
Distribution
Endemic to the Brahmaputra River basin in the states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, northeastern India, with the full extent of its distribution unclear. It i…
Habitat
The area in which C. bleheri lives has a 'tropical monsoon rainforest' climate characterised by heavy rainfall, high humidity and hot summer temperatures. Gosw…
Aquarium size
An aquarium with base dimensions of 120 ∗ 30 cm or equivalent is recommended. Depth is less important but should not be less than 30 cm.
Maintenance
Prefers a dimly-lit aquarium with a layer of surface vegetation such as Ceratopteris spp. plus some submerged cover. It is essential to use a tightly-fitting h…
Water conditions
Not written yet
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. Some specim…
Behaviour and compatibility
In general Channa are best-maintained in species-specific aquaria, although C. bleheri can be kept in a well-chosen community arrangement alongside peaceful, n…
Sexual dimorphism
Females tend to grow larger and are deeper-bodied than males, especially when gravid.
Reproduction
A biparental free spawner which has been bred regularly in aquaria. At the peak of courtship the male and female embrace in a similar fashion to anabantoids. N…
Notes
C. bleheri is a popular aquarium fish, though it remains unclear whether collection for the ornamental trade is having a detrimental effect on wild populations…
References
References
6 on this profile