Snakeheads-Channidae

SNAKEHEADS

General:
The several dozen species live both in swamps and in small bodies of flowing water in Africa and Asia.
Recently, at least one species has been found in North American waters, most likely as a result of careless release.

Biology:
They can breathe atmospheric air with a special breathing organ known as the labyrinth.

Snakeheads Are Responsible Parents

Some snakehead species orally incubate their eggs for a long while, with both males and females participating in this mouthbrooding process.
The fry are fed by the parents with nutrient eggs expelled by the females especially for this purpose.
This probably is a consequence of the lack of sufficient food for the young in their biotope.
The parents, however, manage better because they can eat insect larvae and small fish.

Note>The rainbowhead snakehead is one of the species that never get very large.