Channa marulius (Hamilton, 1822)
Great snakehead
Channa marulius
photo by Jean-Francois Helias / Fishing Adventures Thailand

Family:  Channidae (Snakeheads)
Max. size:  183 cm TL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 30 kg
Environment:  benthopelagic; freshwater, potamodromous
Distribution:  Asia: India to China, south to Thailand and Cambodia (Ref. 12693) and Pakistan (Ref. 4833).
Diagnosis:   
Biology:  Adults occur in sluggish or standing water in canals, lakes, and swamps (Ref. 12693). Inhabit waters with submerged aquatic vegetation (Ref. 12693). Usually found only in deep pools in rivers and occasionally in lakes. They enter flooded forest (Ref. 9497). Carnivorous and subsist on fish, frogs, snakes, insects, earthworms and tadpoles (Ref. 1479). There are reports of this species taking water birds, snakes, and rodents. Males are territorial. May bite when caught (Elliot Bligh, pers. comm., 2001).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 06 October 2009 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  traumatogenic


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