All fish / Channidae

Rainbow Snakehead

Channa pulchra

Also known as pulchra snakehead, rainbow channa, channa pulchra, pulchra, ปลาช่อนเรนโบว์, haruan pelangi, チャンナ・プルクラ, レインボースネークヘッド, gabus pelangi, 彩虹雷龙, 普氏雷龙

A medium-sized snakehead with a blue-grey body covered in dark spots and bright orange-red edging on the fins, which gives it its common name. It is popular with predator keepers because it stays fairly small for a snakehead, shows lots of personality and becomes very tame with its owner.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

20 cm

Temperature

18 to 26 °C

pH

6 to 7.5

Smallest tank

200 litres

Keep as

Singly or as a bonded pair

Diet

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

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

8 to 12 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Myanmar (Mon State and Bago region hill streams)

Breeding

A mouthbrooder in which the male carries the eggs and both parents guard the fry afterwards. It breeds readily in captivity once a compatible pair forms, and cooler winter temperatures followed by warming can help trigger spawning.

Good to know

Highly intolerant of other fish and of tankmates of its own kind outside a pair, and it is a strong jumper, so a tight lid is essential. Possession of live snakeheads is banned or restricted in several places, including the USA and parts of Europe and Australia, so check local laws first.