Edit Channa melasoma
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Name
Scientific name
Channa melasoma
Described by
Authority Bleeker, Year 1851
Family
Channidae
Common names
Black Snakehead
Photograph credits
All 8 credited
Summary
The black snakehead, Channa melasoma, is a snakehead from southern Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Borneo, Sumatra and the Philip…
Size and aquarium
Maximum size
300mm, standard length
Aquarium size
Minimum length 120 cm, Minimum depth 45 cm
Water
Water conditions
Temperature 22–32°C, pH 4–7
Hardness
1–5dGH
Conductivity
Not recorded
Behaviour
Temperament
Not recorded
Social needs
A pair
Community suitability
Not for a community
Where it lives
Countries, regions, rivers and lakes
Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Bangka, Belitung, Borneo, Palawan, Sumatra
Writing
Etymology
Channa: from the Latin channe, used to refer to an unspecified species of sea perch. melasoma: from the Ancient Greek μέλας (melas), meaning 'black', and σῶμα …
Distribution
This species' range is currently considered to extend from extreme southern Thailand (Kolok district) through Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and the Greater Su…
Habitat
Apparently displays a preference for clear water forest streams with substrates of mud and leaf litter but has also been recorded from acidic blackwater in pea…
Aquarium size
An aquarium with base measuring at least 120 ∗ 45 cm is recommended. Water depth is less important but should not be less than 30 cm.
Maintenance
Like most smaller Channa species it prefers a dimly-lit aquarium with plenty of cover in the form of live plants, driftwood branches, terracotta pipes, plant p…
Water conditions
Not written yet
Diet
An obligate predator feeding mostly on smaller fishes and insects in nature but in most cases adapting well to dead alternatives in captivity. Some specimens e…
Behaviour and compatibility
Not written yet
Sexual dimorphism
Not written yet
Reproduction
Not written yet
Notes
This species can be told apart from the similar-looking congener C. baramensis (once considered synonymous with C. melasoma) by absence (vs. presence) of a bla…
References
References
8 on this profile