Description

The golden cobra snakehead, or channa aurantimaculata as it’s also known, belongs to the family Channidae and subfamily Channidae. It’s native to the countries India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan in South Asia, but has been introduced to many parts of Southeast Asia including Indonesia and the Philippines, as well as eastern Africa.

Snakeheads have an accessory respiratory organ, which allows them to breathe outside of the water for a long time.

Snakeheads will need a strong, tight-fitting lid on their aquarium as they will sometimes jump or get carried away while hunting live fish. 

Species specific aquariums are recommended as they are highly predatory and aggressive; although they can coexist with a few of the largest cichlids (Gars are usually a safe bet), large catfish, and various large Plecos. Tank mates should be chosen carefully and should comparable in size as adults.

Snakeheads are ferocious, predatory carnivores and mainly eat massive amounts of live fish, but also eat frogs, insects and crayfish in the wild. In the aquarium they should be fed a constant supply of live fish, but they will also accept live earth worms, frogs, crickets, and dry foods.

 

金斑蛇头鱼（学名：Channa aurantimaculata）属于鳢科（Channidae）鳢亚科（Channidae）。它原产于南亚的印度、巴基斯坦、尼泊尔、斯里兰卡和不丹，但已被引入东南亚许多地区，包括印度尼西亚和菲律宾，以及东非。

蛇头鱼拥有辅助呼吸器官，使其能够在水外长时间呼吸。

饲养蛇头鱼需要结实且密封的鱼缸盖，因为它们在捕食活鱼时有时会跳跃或被水冲走。

建议使用专门的鱼缸饲养蛇头鱼，因为它们具有很强的掠食性和攻击性；尽管它们可以与一些大型慈鲷（雀鳝通常是比较稳妥的选择）、大型鲶鱼和各种大型异型鱼混养。选择混养鱼类时应格外谨慎，并且成年后体型应与蛇头鱼相近。

黑鱼是凶猛的掠食性肉食鱼类，主要以大量活鱼为食，但在野外也会捕食青蛙、昆虫和螯虾。在水族箱中，应持续喂食活鱼，但它们也会接受活蚯蚓、青蛙、蟋蟀和干饲料。