Habits and geographical distribution of moon snakehead (a rare and nutritious fish in South China)

Channa asiatica (Channa asiatica) belongs to the order Perciformes, suborder Perciformes, family Channaidae, and genus Channa. Common names: Guangdong: Seven-star fish, mountain flower fish, mountain grouper, point scale fish, scale star fish, star light fish; Guangxi: star fish, Zhang male fish; Taiwan: Youdai. English name: Snakehead, Chinafish.

The shape is like a spotted snakehead. The head is large, broad and flat, the snout is short and blunt, the mouth is large, and the nasal tube is thick, extending forward past the upper lip. The scales are larger, and the scales on the top of the head are enlarged but irregular; the scales on the side of the head are also larger. The bases of the dorsal and anal fins are long; the pectoral and caudal fins are rounded; there are no pelvic fins. The body edge is black or even gray-black, and the abdomen is gray-white. There are 2 black longitudinal bands behind the eyes and on the side of the head, extending to the gill cover, with the upper band bending toward the base of the pectoral fin; there are 7-9 "herringbone" shaped horizontal bands on the side of the body with the tips pointing forward; there is a black eye-shaped spot at the base of the tail fin. The pearly color around the spot may be a circle of pearly bright spots; the whole body is covered with pearly bright spots, and the dorsal fin and anal fin each have multiple rows of pearly bright spots, especially in males.

Moon snakehead is a wide-temperature fish with strong adaptability. The living water temperature is 1-38℃, the feeding water temperature is 12-32℃, the growth water temperature is 13-30℃, and the optimal growth water temperature is 15-25℃. They have living habits of liking darkness, digging holes, living in caves, living in groups, and eating only food. It likes to live in mountain streams, and also lives in rivers, ditches, ponds and other water bodies. It is an omnivorous fish with ferocious nature and quick movements. It feeds on fish, shrimp, aquatic insects, etc. Under artificial domestication conditions, it likes to eat compound feed and frozen fresh fish. The age of first sexual maturity is 2 winters, and that of artificially cultured fish is 1 winter. The relative number of eggs is about 500. The reproductive period is from April to June, and the peak spawning period is from May to July. The breeding water temperature is 18-28°C. The parent fish have the instinct to pair, build nests, and protect their young.

Distributed in various water systems south of the Yangtze River, it is relatively common in the upper reaches.

It grows slowly, is small in size, and generally weighs about 250 grams. However, it is rich in nutrients, tender in texture, delicious, and has medicinal properties such as muscle growth and blood circulation. It is more popular among the public than the spotted snakehead and sells well in South China, Hong Kong, Macao, and Southeast Asia. .

animal tags： Snakehead Chinafish