Bluefinned snakehead

The rainbow snakehead (Channa bleheri) is a stunning dwarf snakehead endemic to the Brahmaputra River basin in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, northeastern India. It reaches a standard length of 14 to 17 cm and displays a remarkable range of colours from deep blue to reddish-brown, with 4 to 11 irregular reddish-orange markings on the caudal fin and alternating dark and light bands on the pectoral fins. It is one of several Channa species that lack pelvic fins. In its natural habitat, which experiences a tropical monsoon climate with heavy rainfall, it constructs burrows close to tree stumps in forested areas that become temporarily flooded during the annual monsoons, using these as refuges during the dry season. A tank with base dimensions of 120 cm x 30 cm (approximately 108 litres) is recommended. The aquarium should be dimly lit with surface vegetation and a tightly fitting hood, as all snakeheads are accomplished escape artists. This species benefits from natural seasonal temperature variation between a cooler winter period and warmer summer conditions. As an obligate predator, it requires a meaty diet of bloodworm, earthworms, prawns, and mussels, and should not be fed mammalian or avian meats. Young specimens can be kept together but become increasingly territorial with age.