A
really gorgeously coloured dwarf snakehead reached us from the foot of
the Himalaya. Our specimens are obviously fully grown adults and have
about 12 cm total length. Compared with all other dwarf snakeheads of
that relationship in our fishhouse – Channa gachua, Ch. sp. Fire &
Ice, Ch. bleheri, Ch. andrao, Ch. sp. Laos Fireback etc. – the new ones
are very lively and extremely tame. And there is another type of
behaviour that makes these snakeheads unique: they are absolutely
peaceful against conspecifics!
The
first specimen of that new species reached us back in the year 2007. It
was send under the name of Channa sp. Christmas. This first fish was a
young specimen. The rather unspectacular colour of this juvenile fish,
combined with a very high prize lead us to the decision not to import
more specimens at that time.
The
new “Flame Fin” differs from its closest relative – Channa bleheri –
mainly by the more intense colours, especially of the caudal fin. Like
all subtropical snakeheads the new one should not be kept the whole year
through at high temperatures. In winter, temperatures as low as 12-14°C
are acceptable. In case one tries to breed the fish, these low
temperatures are even necessary. However, these snakeheads also can live
happily for many years if kept at room temperature (18-22°C) during
winter. It is optimal to keep the fish in garden ponds during summer
time, but one should keep in mind the facts that snakeheads are
predatory fish and that they tend to wander overland during rainy times.
So the pond should be optimized for snakeheads and must have a fence
that makes it impossible for the fish to leave the pond.
For
our customers: the fish have code 409323 on our stocklist. Please note
that we exclusively supply the wholesale trade. Available in limited
numbers only!
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
