Snakehead fish Channa pseudomarulius - Characteristics, habits, how to raise

Channa pseudomarulius is a wild snakehead fish from the Western Ghats mountains of India, with a wild appearance, unique hunting habits, and easy adaptation.

Channa pseudomarulius , a fish endemic to the Western Ghats mountains of India, has an impressive appearance and interesting hunting habits, full of wild instincts. Although they are not popular in the aquarium market, they are always sought after by professional hobbyists as a rare fish.

In today's article , let's learn about the origin, appearance and how to raise Channa pseudomarulius fish to grow well and have snakehead colors!

Information about snakehead fish Channa pseudomarulius:

Origin of snakehead fish Channa pseudomarulius

Channa pseudomarulius is a fish endemic to India.

Channa pseudomarulius is an endemic snakehead fish native to the Western Ghats mountain range of southern India, which is known for its biodiversity and has many endemic species of flora and fauna. It is not naturally found in any other region.

Initially, Channa pseudomarulius was often confused with the genus Channa marulius - Red-eyed snakehead fish, however, in 2017, researchers confirmed that they are a separate species.

In nature, they often live in streams and freshwater rivers in high mountainous areas, where the temperature is cool and there are many aquatic plants.

Currently, although Channa marulius is not listed in the IUCN Red List, due to its limited distribution range and increasingly threatened habitat, conservation of this fish species is absolutely necessary.

Appearance of snakehead fish Channa pseudomarulius

Impressive appearance of a Channa pseudomarulius fish.

Right below are the most detailed physical characteristics of the Channa pseudomarulius fish. Let's find out if it is any more outstanding than the red-eyed snakehead fish.

• Size : Maximum about 57.8 cm
• Shape : Slim, long, firm.
• Head : Wide, flat, triangular when viewed from above
• Eyes : Located near the top of the head, round, moderate size.
• Mouth : Wide, slightly slanted upwards, lower jaw protruding.
• Body color : Bronze brown to dark gray, with a blue sheen when viewed from the side under light, along both sides of the body there are usually 5-6 faint horizontal stripes or dark black spots, dorsal and anal fins have dark edges, with small dots.
• Lateral scales : Usually 59 - 61, less than red-eye snakehead fish which has 63 - 65.
• Cheek scales : Evenly covered
• Dorsal scales : Extend from behind the gill cover to the caudal peduncle, soft fin rays.
• Anal fin : Extends from mid-back to caudal peduncle
• Caudal fin : Slightly rounded, well balanced

Snakehead fish Channa pseudomarulius behavior

Channa pseudomarulius likes to hide in aquatic bushes.

Let's learn in detail about the habits of Channa pseudomarulius fish to see where they live, what they eat and if they have any special behaviors.

Habits

Channa pseudomarulius likes to live in streams and rivers in mountainous areas, with clean water, strong currents, rocky and gravelly substrates, lots of dissolved oxygen, and cool temperatures. This fish species is also only active near the bottom, only rising to the middle layer when hunting.

Eating habits

Channa pseudomarulius is a predatory fish that only eats meat. Thanks to its strong, sharp, pointed teeth, it can hunt effectively in just one "bite". This fish often hunts by ambush instead of chasing, they hide, move slowly, quietly and then suddenly attack quickly.

Reproductive behavior and territory

Channa pseudomarulius reproduces very well in natural conditions. They are egg-laying fish. After the female lays eggs, the male will guard and protect the eggs until they hatch into larvae and grow into baby fish.

Normally this fish is quite gentle, but during the breeding season it becomes extremely aggressive, always trying to protect its territory and nest from other fish. If the tank has a small space, it should not be kept with other fish species.

Personality and behavior

If the aquarium environment is not spacious enough, without many shelters, Channa pseudomarulius is ready to be aggressive and attack its own kind.

This fish species is also active in the early morning and late afternoon when the water temperature is cool, the rest of the time they spend hiding and resting in caves, holes, crevices, etc.

How to raise snakehead fish Channa pseudomarulius to have beautiful color and max size

A Channa pseudomarulius fish swimming among dense aquatic algae.

If you want to raise snakehead fish Channa pseudomarulius to have beautiful colors and reach maximum size, you need to know the combination of optimal living environment, suitable diet and reasonable health protection, specifically as follows:

Setting up the ideal aquarium

The first important thing you need to pay attention to in order for Channa pseudomarulius fish to have the most beautiful color is to prepare an ideal aquarium and living environment for the fish, which must meet the following requirements:

• Volume : Minimum 400 - 600 liters for an adult individual.
• Tank length : Minimum 1m5 so fish can swim comfortably.
• Filter + aeration system : Choose a large capacity type that operates continuously.
• Temperature : 22 - 27 degrees Celsius, ideal around 24 - 25 degrees Celsius
• pH : 6.5 - 7.5, slightly neutral
• Dissolved oxygen : High, need to run strong filtration + aeration system
• Light : Moderate, choose soft LED lights, not too bright.
• Decoration : Gravel and rock base, add driftwood, caves, aquatic plants, should arrange a separate dark area so that the fish do not get stressed, helping to have more beautiful colors.

Appropriate, high-class diet

To help Channa pseudomarulius fish have beautiful colors and develop best, you need to provide them with a high-quality, varied diet with the following foods:

• Live foods such as small bait fish, fresh shrimp, bloodworms, earthworms, and superworms provide protein and help fish develop beautiful colors.
• Prepared foods such as raw beef, chopped chicken hearts, specialized pellets, rich in protein specifically for carnivorous fish.
• Natural color enhancing foods such as red shrimp, spirulina mixed with food, color enhancing aquarium fish pellets (should not be overused).

Note :

• Fish should be fed 1-2 times a day, each time giving enough food to eat in 3-5 minutes.
• Fast fish for one day a week to help the digestive system better.

Health Care for Channa pseudomarulius Fish

Although Channa pseudomarulius has good adaptability and natural resistance, when raised in artificial tanks, they are still susceptible to some common diseases in snakehead fish. Let's find out some symptoms and treatments below.

Fish disease prevention :

• Ensuring stable water quality is vital
• Change 20 - 30% of water every week, vacuum bottom sediment, clean filter regularly
• Provide a nutritious and varied diet
• Limit stress to fish
• Do not change the environment suddenly
• Add digestive enzymes, minced garlic, multivitamins for carnivorous fish.
• Observe the color, swimming and eating habits of the fish every day to detect abnormalities early.

Price of snakehead fish Channa pseudomarulius

Currently, Channa pseudomarulius is not popular in Vietnam, so its price is not widely announced. However, information about this fish has appeared on some ornamental snakehead fish groups on Facebook. If you want to know the exact price, please contact us immediately.

Note :

• Research the fish's origin and the store that sells it because this fish is quite rare.
• Check the condition of the fish carefully, observe if the fish swims flexibly, if they have skin diseases,...

Through the above article, snakehead.info has shared with you full information about snakehead fish Channa pseudomarulius , this is a wild and rare snakehead fish due to its limited distribution area. However, it is still a perfect choice for those who like to collect ornamental snakehead fish.

If you are passionate about the rich world of ornamental snakehead fish, please visit our Blog section to learn more valuable knowledge and experience in raising fish!