This predator made history in the United States of America. Sure there are other introduced species of Snakeheads in the US but The Northern Snakehead became the monster highlight and the film star of silly movies by those who wanted to make quick money from the Snakehead attention.
Given their reputation I wonder if more MFKer decided to grab their hands on this particular Snakehead species. So does anyone here keep Channa Argus apart from the Platinum Argus? They have beautiful body pattern. I think overall they look like Pythons. That's the first thing that came to my mind when I saw it.
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Channa Argus Species Identification:
Credit to member Plausible
Species name: Channa argus
Common name: Northern Snakehead, Amur snakehead , eastern snakehead, ocellated snakehead, spotted snakehead
Maximum size: 85 cm / 33 inches there are reports from russia of fish upto 1.5 metre none as yet are confirmed and like its distant cousin are most likely exagerations of locals and eager fishermen
Origin: Russia, China, Korea
Introduced range: sadly one of the most introduced and damaging freshwater fish , introdutions are very wide spread not only by the live food industry and the aquatic trade ,but also by goverments in the control of other species and rich land owners and heads of state as stock for there private lake which escaped after heavy flooding , this fish now owns one of the worst reputations amoung all freshwater fish and in many counteries is state ememy no. 1.
known introductions include but not limited to all below :
China - other than where it was origanally found
central and southern Japan
Czecho-Slovakia
russia - other than where origionaly found
southern Urals
Ukraine
Aral Sea basin
Kazakhstan
Uzbekistan
Turkmenistan
United States
Habitat preference: Stagnant shallow ponds or swamps with mud substrate and aquatic vegetation slow muddy streams . Also occurs in canals, reservoirs, lakes, and rivers
Temperament: reported to be Very Aggressive , hunts in groups so is likely to tolerate others of its own kind more than some of the channa mentioned
Company: Channa argus should only be housed with its own kind and very rarley takes any prisioners , its preferance for cooler waters also rules out most fish as suitable tank mates
Water parameters: Temperature 0-30 c can tolerate a massive temp range from part frozen lakes to the tropics reports from an experament in russia ,report during a particular bad winter of 3 test ponds which reached -30deg ended with two ponds totally wiped out of all fish but in the third pond some argus did survive ; pH 6-7.5
Feeding: Channa argus (Northern Snakehead) are predatory and accept most meaty foods as allways keep it varied to avoid the fish becomming hooked on one type of fish
breeding: above the reach of the average aquarist due to the size of the adult fish , but given the correct set-up breeding should prove not to be dificult , the pair spawns in a cleared patch of aquatic vegitation ,eggs float to surface where they are guarded by parent fish , agrresion levels at this time means any work do in the aquarium should be kept to an absolute minimum , the adults will feircely protect any and all attempts to go nears there fry
other info: probably the most banned fish in the world , due to its ability to survive such extreams in tempreture goverments have taken measures to protect there enviroment against this invader , banned through all of europe and america also australia and new zeland parts of canada amoungst others .
special permits are given out to own this fish in many countries but in reality are near impossable to qualify for .
in reality this fishes close relatives channa maculata and channa panaw are a much better suited aquarium fish yet have a similar look
Given their reputation I wonder if more MFKer decided to grab their hands on this particular Snakehead species. So does anyone here keep Channa Argus apart from the Platinum Argus? They have beautiful body pattern. I think overall they look like Pythons. That's the first thing that came to my mind when I saw it.
----------------------------------------
Channa Argus Species Identification:
Credit to member Plausible
Species name: Channa argus
Common name: Northern Snakehead, Amur snakehead , eastern snakehead, ocellated snakehead, spotted snakehead
Maximum size: 85 cm / 33 inches there are reports from russia of fish upto 1.5 metre none as yet are confirmed and like its distant cousin are most likely exagerations of locals and eager fishermen
Origin: Russia, China, Korea
Introduced range: sadly one of the most introduced and damaging freshwater fish , introdutions are very wide spread not only by the live food industry and the aquatic trade ,but also by goverments in the control of other species and rich land owners and heads of state as stock for there private lake which escaped after heavy flooding , this fish now owns one of the worst reputations amoung all freshwater fish and in many counteries is state ememy no. 1.
known introductions include but not limited to all below :
China - other than where it was origanally found
central and southern Japan
Czecho-Slovakia
russia - other than where origionaly found
southern Urals
Ukraine
Aral Sea basin
Kazakhstan
Uzbekistan
Turkmenistan
United States
Habitat preference: Stagnant shallow ponds or swamps with mud substrate and aquatic vegetation slow muddy streams . Also occurs in canals, reservoirs, lakes, and rivers
Temperament: reported to be Very Aggressive , hunts in groups so is likely to tolerate others of its own kind more than some of the channa mentioned
Company: Channa argus should only be housed with its own kind and very rarley takes any prisioners , its preferance for cooler waters also rules out most fish as suitable tank mates
Water parameters: Temperature 0-30 c can tolerate a massive temp range from part frozen lakes to the tropics reports from an experament in russia ,report during a particular bad winter of 3 test ponds which reached -30deg ended with two ponds totally wiped out of all fish but in the third pond some argus did survive ; pH 6-7.5
Feeding: Channa argus (Northern Snakehead) are predatory and accept most meaty foods as allways keep it varied to avoid the fish becomming hooked on one type of fish
breeding: above the reach of the average aquarist due to the size of the adult fish , but given the correct set-up breeding should prove not to be dificult , the pair spawns in a cleared patch of aquatic vegitation ,eggs float to surface where they are guarded by parent fish , agrresion levels at this time means any work do in the aquarium should be kept to an absolute minimum , the adults will feircely protect any and all attempts to go nears there fry
other info: probably the most banned fish in the world , due to its ability to survive such extreams in tempreture goverments have taken measures to protect there enviroment against this invader , banned through all of europe and america also australia and new zeland parts of canada amoungst others .
special permits are given out to own this fish in many countries but in reality are near impossable to qualify for .
in reality this fishes close relatives channa maculata and channa panaw are a much better suited aquarium fish yet have a similar look
