Burmese snakehead

Scientific name: Channa pulchra

Pronunciation: Cha-nah pul-kra

Size: To 20-25cm

Origin: Endemic to Irrawaddy and Sitang river basins, Myanmar

Habitat: A river dweller, found over volcanic rocks and marginal plants

Tank size: 150x60x45cm

Water requirements: Close to neutral or slightly alkaline water; 6.5-7.5pH, hardness 2-10°H

Temperature: 18-25°C, but likes to be between 20-22°C

Temperament: Keep only as a pair, with rare exceptions

Feeding: Large meaty foods; whole fish, occasional prawns, silkworm pupae, earthworms, waxworms, crickets,

Availability and cost: Might take a little tracking down, prices from around £20

A nicely ‘in the middle’ sized snakehead with attractive cobalt blue markings, the Burmese is a species that breeders have found behaves a lot like the Mbuna of Lake Malawi — cram them in to a tank and they struggle to define territories, leading to a strained but ultimately peaceful co-existence. In the wild, the rivers they live in are fed by mountain snow melting on the Himalayas, which means that throughout the year they are subject to an influx of cool, clean, highly oxygenated and high-pH water. Outside of the wet (melting) season, the rivers can dry up into pools, becoming warm, acidic and lower in oxygen content. This is something that the aquarist should aim to recreate, including the lowering of water levels.

Because of the size — big without being too big — Channa pulchra is the choice of many for a centrepiece Snakehead. It becomes pretty tame in time and will recognise its owner.