Channa barca
The Channa barca occurs naturally in the Brahmaputra River in India and only in the states of Assam and Nagaland. It is a very rare fish. It lives in the coastal zone in vertical burrows about a metre deep and with several entrances. During the winter months, there is a drought in these areas and the water bodies completely dry out, but the burrows retain moisture and the fish wait out this period in them. Again, this fish is extremely rare and expensive, so it is good luck to find it in aquarists' collections.
The Channa barca has a long body. The head is large. The body is coloured bluish-yellowish with dark mottling. The head is also decorated with black spots. Males have an elongated dorsal fin with a contrasting pattern. In most cases the sex of the fish can be determined by looking at them from above, females have a wider head shape. The maximum size of the fish is 80-90 cm.
The Channa barca is a relatively undemanding fish, but at the same time very aggressive and territorial. It can suddenly display aggression towards another individual, which has been kept together for a long time. In this regard, keep barca snakeheads preferably in a species aquarium one at a time, but taking into account by no means a small size of fish keep it only possible in a very large aquarium.
Numerous bushes of floating plants should be placed on the water surface. The aquarium should be covered with a lid, which should be well fixed, these fish are famous for their ability to lift the lid and successfully leave the aquarium. There must be an air gap between the cover and the water surface, as the fish need access to a layer of moist air.
Also, it is important to mimic natural conditions in the aquarium by changing the water temperature during the winter and summer periods. During the colder periods, the water level should be lowered and the fish should be fed intensively.
Water parameters: temperature 10-28° C, hardness dH 3-20°, pH 6.0-8.0. Necessary filtration and weekly replacement of 1/3 of the aquarium water with fresh.
The menu of fish in natural conditions are small fishes and insects. In aquarium conditions, they are fed fish meat, bloodworms, small earthworms, minced meat shrimp and mussels, live river shrimp. Fish will also like dry food, but it should never be the main diet. Fish should not be fed with mammal or bird meat such as beef heart or chicken, as some of the lipids they contain cannot be digested by the fish and lead to internal degeneration and obesity.
Reproduction
Channa barca do not breed under aquarium conditions. In nature, the male broods an egg in the mouth.
Life expectancy barca snakeheads in aquarium conditions is about 10-12 years.
