Meet the Channa family

The Channa genus of the Channidae family of snakehead fishes.

How many types of Snakeheads are there?

While there are many types of Snakehead fish – mainly the 3 largest and most common species that are highly sought after in most Asian countries. They are Channa lucius, Channa micropeltes and Channa striata.

Meet the Channa family

• Channa amphibeus
  - Borna snakehead, India
(extremely rare) max 25 cm
• Channa argus
  - Northern snakehead. (China, Russia, Korea) Max 84 cm

• Channa asiatica
  - China, Taiwan, Japan. Max 35 cm
• Channa aurantimaculata
  - Orange stripped/spotted snakehead. India. Max 40 cm
• Channa bankanensis
  - Sumatra (rare) max 15 cm
• Channa barca
  - Barca snakehead, India
(extremely rare)
• Channa bleheri
  - Rainbow snakehead, India max 20 cm
• Channa cyanospilos
  - Bluespotted snakehead, Malaysia, Sumatra, Kalimantan max 20 cm

• Channa gachua
  - Dwarf snakehead, Pakistan to Indonesia max 20 cm
• Channa harcourtbutleri
  - Myanmar max 15 cm

• Channa lucius
  - Splendid snakehead, Bujuk, South East Asia, Pla Krasong ปลากระสง max 40 cm

• Channa maculata
  - Blotched snakehead, Southern China Northern Vietnam, max 33 cm
• Channa marulioides
  - Toman Bunga, Darkfin/Emperor snakehead. South East Asia max 66 cm
• Channa marulius
  – Bullseye/Great snakehead, India-Sri Lanka-Bangladesh-South Nepal, max 178 cm
• Channa melanopterus
  - Blackfinned snakehead, Kalimantan, max 66 cm
• Channa melasoma
  - Black snakehead

• Channa micropeltes
  – Toman, Giant snakehead, Pla Chado ปลาชะโด India-South East Asia, max 178 cm / 20+ kg
• Channa nox
  - Night snakehead, Southern China max 20 cm
• Channa orientalis
  - smooth-breasted/Ceylon snakehead, Sri Lanka max 10 cm
• Channa panaw
  - Myanmar max 17 cm
• Channa pleurophthalma
  - Ocellated snakehead, Sumatra-Kalimantan max 40 cm
• Channa pulchra

• Channa punctata
  - Spotted snakehead, green snakehead, India-Sri Lanka-Nepal, max 30 cm
• Channa stewartii
  - Golden snakehead, India-Bangladesh-Nepal, max 25 cm

• Channa striata
  – Haruan, Common snakehead, Snakehead murrel, chevron snakehead, striped snakehead, Pla Chon ปลาช่อน Pakistan to South East Asia, max 91 cm

The smaller, colorful snakeheads are important in the aquarium fish trade. Most of these “dwarf” snakeheads are difficult to obtain as they can have very beautiful markings and fins. They are also mostly mouth brooders.