All fish / Channidae

Black-finned Snakehead

Channa melanoptera

Also known as black finned snakehead, blackfin snakehead, channa melanopterus, ophicephalus melanopterus, 黑鳍鳢

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This snakehead is a long, cylindrical predator with long dorsal and anal fins that are dark or black. It was described in 1855 from supposedly South American material, a locality almost certainly wrong because snakeheads are native to Africa and Asia, so it is now treated as a doubtful name. Fish sold under this name are usually other Asian Channa species that have been mislabelled.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

30 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

400 litres

Keep as

Keep singly or as a bonded pair

Diet

Carnivore: fish, prawns, earthworms, insects and meaty frozen foods

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

8 to 12 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Upper Amazon basin in Brazil (described from the Rio Negro and Tapajós)

Breeding

No reliable captive breeding records exist under this name. Related Channa species pair up and guard their eggs and young, and some build floating nests or brood in the mouth.

Good to know

Because the name is doubtful, work out which species you actually have before relying on care data. Snakeheads are illegal to own or import in many places, including the USA, parts of Europe and Australia, they jump well and need a tightly sealed lid.