Dwarf snakehead

Channa gachua

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 64–82°F (18–28°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 7.9 in (20 cm)
Minimum tank: 40 gal (150 L)
Temperament: Aggressive
Social behavior: Solitary
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Very rare
Origin: South Asia, South East Asia
Family: Channidae

Overview

The dwarf snakehead is a predatory air-breather best kept as a single fish or a bonded pair, never in a random group where it will fight. It spends most of its time near the bottom, resting among wood and plants and darting out to grab food. It is aggressive and will eat tankmates it can fit in its mouth, so a species tank or a lone specimen is safest. Feed meaty foods such as earthworm, prawn, mussel and the occasional whole fish, and avoid live feeder fish that carry disease. A well-covered tank of at least 150 liters with lots of hiding places and a tight lid keeps it settled and stops it jumping.

In the wild

Channa gachua, in the broad sense, ranges across South and Southeast Asia in streams, pools and shaded forest brooks, from warm lowlands to cooler hill country. That wide range is why it copes with temperatures from about 18 to 28 degrees Celsius rather than needing constant tropical heat, with a pH of 6.0 to 7.5. Give it a shady, structured tank with driftwood, rocky caves, leaf litter and hardy plants over a soft substrate, and keep the surface calm so it can breathe air comfortably.

Good to know

The dwarf snakehead belongs to Channidae and reaches around 20 centimeters, small by snakehead standards. Channa gachua is best understood as a species complex, with many regional forms that differ in colour. Unusually for snakeheads, it is a paternal mouthbrooder: the male incubates the eggs and young in his mouth rather than guarding a floating nest. Breeding is rated hard, as it needs a compatible pair, stable water and patience, but a settled pair will raise broods in a quiet tank.

Did you know

Most snakeheads guard a nest of floating eggs, but the dwarf snakehead does something rarer: the male holds the eggs and fry in his mouth until they can fend for themselves. What is sold as Channa gachua is really a whole cluster of similar regional forms.