Channa argus

WelfareScore | farm

Li1  ❘  Po3  ❘  Ce0

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Potential

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Channa argus is a freshwater fish that is native to eastern Russia and China as well as parts of North Korea. It naturally lives in lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams in waters ranging 0-41 °C. C. argus is a typical ambush predator that lies on the bottom waiting for its prey, being one of the most common BENTHIC piscivores in warm shallow lakes in China. It is mostly active at dusk/early night and before dawn, typically in vegetation close to shore. Curiously, it is an obligate air-breathing fish able to survive under ice that anecdotally is known for terrestrial behaviours, as it can stay out of the water for days. For spawning, this fish nests in highly vegetated shallow waters with low to no flow.

In aquaculture, it is commonly grown in ponds and reservoirs, being the most important snakehead fish cultured in China. This fish is also considered for its pharmacological properties and is used for recreational fishing. It was already introduced throughout central Asia and Japan, besides other countries like Canada and the USA, which have reported adverse ecological impact after introduction. C. argus is becoming one of the most popular cultured species in southern and south‐eastern Asian countries, having some characteristics that are advantageous for farming, such as high tolerance to a wide variety of environmental conditions – including hypoxic conditions – strong resistance to diseases, high nutrition, and a good taste. However, it is probably harvested before reaching maturity, and almost no information about its farming conditions is available, which makes it very difficult to assess and improve its welfare in aquaculture conditions. Furthermore, as most available wild information comes from JUVENILES, ADULTS, and SPAWNERS in non-native waters, more research is needed in native waters and for other age classes. Because it is commonly sold in live-fish markets – including ethnic markets and restaurants – in Canada and the USA, thus probably dying during processing, a humane slaughter protocol is urgently needed.

For details see: WelfareCheck | farm (latest major release: 2024-03-12)