Burmese Snakehead

About

The Burmese snakehead (Channa burmanica) is one of the more obscure members of a fascinating group of predatory fish, and true specimens are genuinely hard to come by in the hobby. Its name has historically been attached to other snakehead species and at least one unidentified fish traded as C. sp. 'fire and ice'. Getting your hands on the real thing takes some legwork. Originating from Myanmar, this species belongs to a proposed grouping within the genus that also includes well-known names like C. gachua and C. barca. Physically, it's identifiable by a few reliable markers: it lacks pelvic fins entirely, which immediately sets it apart from many relatives, and it carries distinctly banded pectoral fins with alternating dark and light bars, white-tipped dorsal and anal fin rays, and orangey-brown patches on the face between the eye and upper lip. Like all channids, it has large, snake-like scales on the head, the origin of the 'snakehead' name, and breathes atmospheric air using paired suprabranchial chambers above the gills. In an aquarium you'll regularly see it surfacing to gulp air, which is normal and necessary. Despite the predatory reputation of the group, its care level is considered beginner-friendly, though tankmates need to be chosen with its carnivorous appetite in mind.