Black Pearl Snakehead Fish - Characteristics and Care from AZ
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The black pearl snakehead (Channa hanamensis) is a predatory fish with a striking appearance with prominent white and blue spots on a dark brown or black body.
Black pearl snakehead fish (Channa hanamensis) is one of the predatory fish with beautiful and impressive appearance and is hunted by aquarium hobbyists. Their body is blackish brown or dark brown and stands out with mysterious white, blue, black spots, easy to tame and does not require much in raising.
If you are interested in learning and want to raise black pearl snakehead fish, please refer to the article below of ornamental snakehead fish to grasp important information as well as how to take good care of this fish breed!
Where does black pearl snakehead fish come from?
Black pearl snakehead fish has another name, Channa Hanamensis.
Black pearl snakehead fish has the scientific name Channa Hanamensis, it is also known by the more familiar name of cotton snakehead fish. This fish breed originates from natural river, stream and lake areas in Southeast Asia such as Cambodia, Thailand, in Vietnam it is found in some provinces such as Ha Giang, Hoa Binh, Nghe An, Tuyen Quang,...
They usually live in habitats, freshwater streams with moderate flow or swamps, ponds with many aquatic plants.
Currently, the number of black pearl snakehead fish is very rare and expensive because in the natural environment it is overexploited and difficult to breed in captivity.
Physical characteristics of black pearl snakehead fish
The striking appearance of a black pearl snakehead fish.
Black pearl snakehead fish has an extremely prominent and beautiful appearance with blue and white spots on a light brown or gray-black body. Let's learn more about the characteristics of this ornamental fish breed:
- Body : Long, flat head, small sharp teeth, wide mouth.
- Size : Black pearl snakehead fish max size is from 35 - 40 cm, but on average is usually around 20 - 30 cm.
- Eyes : Large, round, flexible and sharp.
- Color : The body is gray-black or light brown, with blue-white spots and black vertical lines that sparkle like precious black pearls.
- Dorsal & anal fins : Along the length of the body, grey, with blue spots and may be slightly transparent.
- Caudal fin : Rounded shape, color similar to dorsal fin.
Behavior of black pearl snakehead fish
Black pearl snakehead fish is a predatory, carnivorous fish.
Black pearl snakehead fish has unique hunting habits and reproduction methods. Let's learn more about the habits of this fish breed.
Is a predatory fish
Black pearl snakehead fish belong to the group of predatory fish, so they always have strong hunting instincts. They use surprise attack tactics by hiding secretly to approach their prey and then suddenly attack.
Highly territorial, aggressive
Black Pearl Snakeheads are very territorial and will attack any fish that invades their territory. Even in small tanks, they will attack other fish and their own kind.
Like to hide
Although it is a predatory fish, the Black Pearl Snakehead likes to hide in crevices, tree roots or aquatic bushes to avoid the intrusion of other strange fish and hunt prey.
Reproductive behavior
Black pearl snakehead fish lay eggs in caves or good hiding places, each time they can lay a large number of eggs. After laying eggs, the male and female fish will take turns protecting and caring for the eggs until they hatch into fry and continue to search for food, caring for the young until they are able to find food for themselves.
Good air breathing ability
Black pearl snakehead fish has an accessory respiratory organ that takes oxygen from the air, so it can survive in environments with low oxygen or unstable water quality.
How to raise and care for black pearl snakehead fish
Black pearl snakehead fish need a large, comfortable space to swim.
If you want to raise a black pearl snakehead fish to grow healthily and have beautiful colors, you must pay attention to nutrition, water quality as well as reasonable aquarium design. Specifically, please refer to the instructions below!
What do black pearl snakehead fish eat?
Black pearl snakehead fish is a carnivorous predatory fish so it has a varied diet, can eat fresh food or synthetic pellets, specifically as follows:
- Live food : Small fish, shrimp, prawns, earthworms, earthworms, crickets, small insects,...
- Pellet food : Eat protein-rich food specifically for carnivorous fish.
- Processed food : Chopped fish fillet, beef, chicken liver, pork heart,....
Aquarium design suitable for raising black pearl snakehead fish
To help the black pearl snakehead fish have a comfortable living space, you need to note a few things after designing the aquarium.
- Tank size : Minimum 100 cm x 50 cm x 60 cm (Length x Width x Height) equivalent to 250 L, ideal 150 cm x 60 xm x 60 cm.
- Tank material : You can use glass or acrylic with suitable thickness to withstand water pressure and the weight of the fish.
- Water filtration system : Need a strong water filtration system to keep the water clean, can choose external filtration, overflow filtration or bottom filtration.
- Aquarium background and decoration : You should use sand or gravel as the background for the aquarium, create a shelter from rocks or driftwood, add aquatic plants to make the tank more beautiful and give the fish a place to hide, lay eggs,...
- Lighting system : this fish only likes soft light so you need to arrange suitable LED lights, not too bright.
Suitable water parameters for raising black pearl snakehead fish
After designing a suitable fish tank, you need to pay attention to the water quality in the tank because black pearl snakehead fish need certain water parameters to grow well. Specifically as follows:
| Parameter | Optimal value | Note |
| Temperature | 26 - 28 o C | Fish can survive outside this range but they will not grow optimally and are susceptible to certain diseases. |
| pH | 6.5 - 7.5 | Do not let the pH go below 6 and above 8 because the fish can easily get shocked. |
| Hardness (dGH) | 5 - 15 | |
| Dissolved oxygen | There should be light aeration. | Although black pearl snakehead fish have accessory respiratory organs, the tank still needs light aeration to maintain water quality. |
| Ammonia (NH3) & Nitrite (NO2) | 0 ppm | These are two substances that are toxic to fish. |
| Nitrate (NO3) | < 40 ppm | The substrate uses a biological filter to convert waste, and the water is changed periodically. |
How to release black pearl fish into the tank when you first buy it
When you first buy black pearl snakehead fish, you should not put them in the tank immediately, but need to have time to help the fish get used to the tank to avoid shocking them. Please follow the instructions below.
- Step 1: Observe if the fish is healthy. If there are any unusual signs, isolate them before releasing them into the tank.
- Step 2: Check the water quality in the tank to see if it meets the criteria.
- Step 3: Put the fish bag into the tank for 15 - 30 minutes to help the fish get used to the temperature.
- Step 4: Every 5 minutes add water from the tank to the bag, about 10 - 20% of the water in the bag, repeat 4 - 5 times.
- Step 5: Use a net to catch the fish in the bag and put them in the tank.
- Step 6: Observe whether the fish swim normally. If the fish swims erratically or breathes rapidly, check the water quality again. Note that you should let the fish get used to the environment for about 12 hours before feeding them for the first time.
Common diseases in black pearl snakehead fish and how to prevent and treat them
Just like other ornamental fish, if the environment or food or some other factors are not suitable, black pearl snakehead fish are also susceptible to disease. You need to pay attention to some of the following common diseases:
- White fungus disease : Small white spots appear on the body, fins and gills due to parasites or dirty water. You need to increase the water temperature to 30 - 32 degrees Celsius for about 1 week to kill parasites and use medicine to treat white fungus such as methylene blue.
- Parasitic diseases : Fish infected with parasites from live food cause the fish to itch, swim jerkily or even see anchor worms attached to the fish. At this time, you need to use antiparasitic drugs such as Praziquantel, clean the fish tank and change the water regularly, and live food must be handled carefully.
- Scale ruffling disease: Fish scales swell, eyes bulge, belly swells due to fish infected with Aeromonas bacteria in the water. When you see this condition, you need to isolate the fish and use strong antibiotics such as Kanamycin to treat it.
Price of black pearl snakehead fish
The price of black pearl snakehead fish depends a lot on size and appearance.
Currently, black pearl snakehead fish is also very popular among ornamental fish players in Vietnam. Its price depends a lot on size and appearance. Please refer to the price list we have compiled below:
| Size (cm) | Price (reference) |
| Black pearl snakehead fish mini size (9-12cm) | 150,000 - 200,000 VND |
| Medium sized fish (17 - 20 cm) | 400,000 - 600,000 VND |
| Large fish (> 20 cm) | 800,000 - 1,000,000 VND |
Q&A about black pearl snakehead fish
Are black pearl snakehead fish aggressive?
The black pearl snakehead fish is quite aggressive because it is very territorial, it is ready to attack other fish if it invades its territory or threatens it.
How many centimeters long is black pearl snakehead fish?
Adult black pearl snakehead fish can reach a length of 30 - 40cm.
Can black pearl snakehead fish be raised with other fish species ?
Black pearl snakehead fish should not be kept with smaller fish because they are quite aggressive, however they can be kept with some fish of similar or larger size.
Beautiful black pearl snakehead fish pictures
Right below we have compiled many beautiful and rare images of black pearl snakehead fish, we invite you to admire more of this beautiful ornamental fish.
Image of adult black pearl snakehead fish.
A black pearl snakehead fish with excellent appearance.
Black pearl snakehead fish with prominent green spots and black stripes.
Through the above article, snakehead.info has shared full information about black pearl snakehead fish including origin, adultery, habits and care. Hopefully this knowledge will be helpful for those who want to raise or learn about this beautiful ornamental fish.
Goodbye and see you again in the next articles of the Blog section to learn more about other ornamental snakehead fish species in the world!
