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Encyclopedia / Oddballs & Predators / Northern dwarf snakehead
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Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Northern dwarf snakehead

Channa asiatica · Asiatica

Aggressive predator; keep alone or with a mate in a large tank.

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· real AED shop prices, never conversions
35 cmBody length, without tail ✓
15–25 °CTemperature ✓
6–8pH ✓
160 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
Check your own mix →
Not recommended
  • Northern dwarf snakehead eats animals up to about 12 cm. Neon tetra only grows to 2.5 cm.
Not recommended
  • Northern dwarf snakehead eats animals up to about 12 cm. Cardinal tetra only grows to 3 cm.
  • Northern dwarf snakehead needs cool water and makes a lot of waste, while Cardinal tetra is tropical.
Not recommended
  • Northern dwarf snakehead eats animals up to about 12 cm. Black neon tetra only grows to 3.2 cm.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

25 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓5–25 dGH
Group size ✓2 or more
Temperament ✓Aggressive
Swims at ?All levels
Care level ✓Moderate
Diet Carnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 6–12 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Aggressive predator; keep alone or with a mate in a large tank.

Check your local laws. US: all live snakeheads (genera Channa and Parachanna, family Channidae) and their viable eggs are injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act (listed 4 Oct 2002, 50 CFR 16.13); importation into the US and interstate transportation or acquisition are prohibited without a USFWS permit. C. asiatica is named in the list. EU: not checked for this species; Channa argus is the only snakehead in the 2022 additions to the EU invasive-species list. Check the rules where you live before you buy one, and never release it into the wild.

  • cool

Food

Fish, prawns, worms and frozen foods.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Males develop longer dorsal and anal fins and many more silvery spots on body and fins; adult females look rounder-bellied.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Egg-guarder · Hard

Biparental guarder with floating eggs: pairs embrace like gouramis, build no nest, and both parents defend the floating eggs and fry. Well-fed pairs breed at least yearly from about 18 cm; fry must be size-sorted weekly to limit cannibalism.

Pairing

A conditioned pair in a large tank.

Setup

600 L tank with plants and a secure lid.

What starts it

Seasonal temperature change.

Eggs

Several thousand floating eggs per spawn; they hatch in 24-36 hours depending on temperature and the fry swim freely about 24 hours later as 6-7 mm black 'tadpoles'.

Raising the fry

Fry feed on baby brine shrimp and microworms; parents guard them.

Common mistakes
  • Putting two males together
  • Fry cannibalism
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionSouthern China & Taiwan
HabitatStreams and ponds
Native rangeAbout 800 km across
See it on the world map

The story of the northern dwarf snakehead

A mid-sized snakehead (to about 35 cm SL) from central and southern China and northern Vietnam, introduced to Taiwan and southern Japan. It has vertical black bars on a brownish body with many white spots, lacks pelvic fins, and prefers cooler water (15-25 °C).

Carl Linnaeus described this snakehead in 1758, placing it in a different genus. It is a small, attractive species also introduced to Japan.

First described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758.

  • It is one of the few snakeheads from southern China.
  • It has no pelvic fins, like Channa orientalis.
  • It stays fairly small, rarely over 30 cm.

Sources

17 facts checked with sources