Ocellated snakehead

Channa pleurophthalma

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–82°F (24–28°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 15.7 in (40 cm)
Minimum tank: 70 gal (265 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Solitary
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Very rare
Origin: Sumatra, Borneo
Family: Channidae

Overview

The ocellated snakehead is one of the calmer, more open-swimming snakeheads, but it is still a large predator and is usually best kept on its own. It patrols the middle of the tank rather than hugging the bottom, and it is less inclined than most snakeheads to attack its own kind, though it will eat any fish small enough to swallow. If you keep tankmates, pick large, peaceful species. Feed meaty foods such as prawn, mussel, earthworm and the occasional whole fish, and skip live feeder fish that carry disease. Give it a long, well-covered tank of at least 265 liters, since it grows large and jumps.

In the wild

Channa pleurophthalma is native to Sumatra and Borneo, where it lives in rivers, canals and floodplain lakes. It prefers warm, stable water, so keep the temperature between 24 and 28 degrees Celsius and the pH from 6.0 to 7.5. A roomy tank with driftwood, some hardy plants, open swimming lanes and a soft, dark substrate suits it, with a calm surface for air breathing. Steady conditions and generous water changes keep this large fish in good health.

Good to know

A member of the snakehead family Channidae, the ocellated snakehead reaches about 40 centimeters and is named for the eye-like spots, or ocelli, ringed in orange along its flanks and tail base. It breathes air like all snakeheads. Its breeding habits are poorly documented and aquarium spawning is rarely recorded. It is generally considered less aggressive and more gregarious than most other members of its genus.

Did you know

The dark, orange-ringed spots along this snakehead's body give it both its common and scientific names, from the Greek for eye-like. Those false eyespots may confuse a predator about which end is the head.