All fish / Channidae

Ornate Snakehead

Channa ornatipinnis

Also known as ornate snakehead, ornatipinnis snakehead, channa ornatipinis, vietnamese snakehead, チャンナ・オルナティピンニス, channa ornatipinnis, 华丽雷龙, 大花雷龙

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A mid-sized snakehead with a bluish to grey body covered in dark spots and long dorsal and anal fins edged in orange and dotted with dark marks. It is kept for its striking finnage, intelligent behaviour and the way it learns to recognise its keeper.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

25 cm

Temperature

20 to 26 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

250 litres

Keep as

Alone or as a bonded pair

Diet

Carnivore: earthworms, prawns, mussel, fish fillet, insects and sinking carnivore pellets

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

8 to 12 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Myanmar (Myitkyina area, upper Irrawaddy basin)

Breeding

It is a paternal mouthbrooder, with the male holding the eggs and fry while the female may feed the brood with unfertilised eggs. Spawning has been achieved in home aquariums but needs a compatible, well-matched pair.

Good to know

Highly intolerant of its own kind and will eat any fish it can swallow, so keep it alone or as a pair in a tightly covered tank as it can jump. Snakeheads are banned or restricted in many places, including the USA and parts of Australia, so check local law before buying.