( Snakehead Murrel)

Ophicephalus planiceps Cuvier, 1831
Ophicephalus striatus Bloch, 1793
Ophiocephalus chena Hamilton, 1822
Ophiocephalus philippinus Peters, 1868
Ophiocephalus planiceps Cuvier, 1831
Ophiocephalus striatus Bloch, 1793
Ophiocephalus striatus subsp. qualamudensis Gianferrari, 1930
Ophiocephalus vagus Peters, 1868
Ophiocephalus wrahl Lacepède, 1801

Channidae

ປາກະໂຈນ / Forest snakehead
ປາກັ້ງ / Dwarf snakehead
ປາໂດ / Giant Snakehead

Channa striata has long body, snake-like fish with a flat head. It has a big mouth with many sharp teeth. The fish has a round tail and two long fins that run almost the whole length of its body. It is usually brown or black with spots and lines. The belly is usually white. Baby fish are orange, but they lose their orange color when they grow up. This fish can grow up to 1 m long and weigh 3 kg, but it rarely gets that big in nature. Female fish are usually about 300 mm long when they are 2 years old.
Behavior: This fish is a very strong fish that can live in many different places. It can breathe air and survive for a long time out of water. The fish can move on land to escape bad conditions or hide in mud when it's dry.
This fish is a very aggressive fish that likes to eat other animals. It hides and waits for its prey, then attacks quickly. It eats fish, frogs, snakes, insects, worms, shrimp, and even small birds and mammals. Baby fish eat algae, tiny animals, insects, and other baby fish. As they grow, they eat small shrimp, and baby fish.
These fish are usually alone, except when they have babies. When the weather is good, they can have babies most months, sometimes even twice a year. They can lay hundreds or even thousands of eggs at a time. The best time for having babies is usually when it rains a lot. The parents sometimes make a special place for the eggs in the plants or just lay them in the water. The eggs float to the top after they are fertilized. The parents usually watch the eggs, but sometimes they don't.
Sources: [4], [5]

Native to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Thailand, Viet Nam, Bhutan
Snakehead Murrel fish global distribution between 1828 to 2024. Source: [6]

Northern Mekong Corridor
Annamite Highlands and Xieng Khuang Plateau
Vientiane Plain
Southern Mekong Corridor

Rice paddy
Other farmland
Rivers and streams
Lakes and ponds
Marshes and peatlands

Native

Not invasive

Least concern

List III: General species

Food

Channa striata is a type of fish that is popularly used in cooking, whether grilled or boiled. It can also be used in minced meat, minced meat salad, etc. Fish soup with sour, which has been around for a long time until today, is considered a delicious local food and is very popular. [10]

Both

June
July
August
October
November
December

Habitat preservation: populations have Threats from habitat loss and degradation, competition and predation from invasive alien species, siltation, and water pollution. [7]
Population monitoring: The species is widespread and abundant across its range.[7]

Channa striata is sold in markets in Laos for around 80,000 to 120,000 kip per kilogram. [11]

Important source of proteins

N/A

Nutrient	/100g	Remark
Proteins	N/A	N/A
Carbohydrates	N/A	N/A
Fats	N/A	N/A
Vitamins	N/A	N/A
Minerals	N/A	N/A
Fibers	N/A	N/A

Snakehead Murrel fish under the water. [1] iNaturalist [Online]. Uploaded on 09 August 20243 by Budak. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/177464664. [Accessed: 06.09.2024]
Snakehead Murrel fish in the mirror. [2] iNaturalist [Online]. Uploaded on 07 July 2023 by Y. Lun Lin. Available: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/171423360. [Accessed: [06.09.2024]
Snakehead Murrel fish. [3] Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) [Online]. Uploaded on 07 May 2022 by W. R. Nangkasamarinile. Available: https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/3785036438. [Accessed: 06.09.2024]

[4] T. Michelle and W. Kirkpatrick, “Indicative 10 Project Extension Material, Striped Snakehead (Channa striata), Pes smart: 2017. Available:
https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/sites/gateway/files/Striped%20Snakehead%20-%20National%20Resource%20Material.pdf.
[5] R. Gustian, K. Kurniawa and I. I. Kusmini, “Bioresources and diversity of snakehead, Channa striata (Bloch 1793): a proposed model for optimal and sustainable utilization of freshwater fish,” Earth and Environmental Science, dol: 10. 1088, 2012
[6] Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), “Channa striata (Bloch, 1793),” [Online]. Available: https://www.gbif.org/species/2391463. [Accessed: 07 October 2024]
[7] IUCN red list, “Snakehead Murrel fish,” [Online]. Available: https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/166563/60591113. [Accessed: 07 October 2024]
[8] Animals Diversity web [Online]. Available: https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Channa_striata/. [Accessed: 06.09.2024]
[9] A. Saputra, M. B. Syamsunnrno and M. T. D. Sunarno, “Development of seed mass production of snakehead (Channa striata) in Indonesia,” Agriculture and Rural Development, 2021. Article available: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1755-1315/715/1/012060/pdf.
[10] J. Doe, "ຕົ້ມສົ້ມປາຄໍ່" PDF, 2023. [Online]. Available: file:///C:/Users/duang/Downloads/WVUDnUZXd3zeFs9R.pdf. [Accessed: Oct. 16, 2024].
[11] NAFRI, " A Report on Cage Culture in Lao PDR" 2022. [Online]. Avail-able: http://lad.nafri.org.la/fulltext/2206-1.pdf. [Accessed: Oct. 16, 2024].