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AMAZONAS
84
It wasn’t long before the females were carrying the
first broods in their mouths, but unlike other Channa
they proved to be rather susceptible to disturbance. The
first six broods were swallowed or spat out. Only when
the fish were left in peace due to the absence of their
owner did they rear young for the first time. The male
now hid in a floating tube of cork, while the females
monitored their surroundings with increased watchfulness.
The parents also behaved differently from other
Channa during the rearing of the young. The fry were
often moved around and concealed behind décor items.
The growth rate of the young was also noticeably slower
than in other Channa, and after a year the offspring had
attained a size of just 2.5–3 inches (6–7 cm).
Channa sp. “Redfin”
The news of the new snakehead species spread rapidly
among Channa-holics, and various exporters were quick
to include the fish on their stock lists. The demand was
high and they were rewarded. But although one consignment
of Channa sp. “Fire & Ice” exhibited strong
similarities to the species described, it also possessed
a number of clearly different characters. On closer
examination it became clear that this was a second new
form, no less beautiful and also worthy of attention. And
so it was probably more by luck than by design that the
Pair of Channa sp. “Redfin”
Male Channa sp. “Fire & Ice”
with full throat sac. When
mouthbrooding, these fish are very
susceptible to disturbance and
sometimes eat their eggs.
first imports of a new form, now traded under the name
Channa sp. “Redfin”, came about.
Channa sp. “Redfin” is similar in stature to Channa
gachua. In stress coloration these fish exhibit numerous
small black dots that aren’t otherwise visible. The
coloration of the male is spectacular. The body base color
is dark, almost black, in stark contrast to the ice-blue finrays
and fire engine–red fin edgings.
In Channa sp. “Redfin”, too, there were initially
problems with aggression in the wild-caught fish, though
not as markedly as in Channa sp. “Fire & Ice”. The maintenance
of six individuals in a 40-gallon (100 x 60 x 40
cm) aquarium continued without problems until mating.
And even thereafter the fish could be kept without problem
in a tank with a volume of around 50 gallons (200
L) and plenty of cover. Essentially, tanks for snakeheads
need to be set up with lots of hiding places, plus plants
and other décor to break up the line of sight. Floating
tubes of cork, for example, are much-appreciated hiding
places.
These fish supposedly originated from the same area
as Channa sp. “Fire & Ice” and were kept at a temperature
of around 68°F (20°C) at the time of the first
importation. When the temperature then rose with the
approach of summer, the behavior of the fish became
more aggressive. Eventually a pair formed from the
D. NIEMEIER