Fish profile · Channidae
Giant snakehead
Channa micropeltes
The giant snakehead is a large predator native to Malaysian freshwaters. Its bright red striped juveniles change dramatically as they become darker, bulkier adults.
Last reviewed 26 October 2026 · 13 sources
- Max length
- 100 cm
- Max weight
- 20 kg
- IUCN
- LC
- Least Concern
- In Malaysia
- Native
- Family
- Channidae
- order Perciformes
Category from the IUCN Red List, via GBIF (CC BY 4.0); it may lag the latest Red List assessment.
How big?
Linear scale · person 170 cm
Up to 100 cm and 20 kg.
Where in Malaysia
4 open-licence records · GBIF
- Recorded (open records)
- Well-known fishing spot
- 1Tasik Temenggor, Perak
- 2Tasik Kenyir, Terengganu
- 3Tasik Beris, Kedah
Recorded in Perak, Negeri Sembilan, and Selangor. Based on 4 open-licence records on GBIF. Few records can mean few surveys, not few fish.
How to identify
- Long body with a large mouth
- Adults have a dark purplish upper body and a broad stripe along the side
- Juveniles are orange-red with black horizontal stripes
Look-alikes
Striped snakeheadThe striped snakehead has dark chevron markings; a juvenile giant snakehead instead has red-orange colouring with black lengthwise stripes.
Habitat
Deep still water and slow channels in rivers, lakes and reservoirs.
- Diet
- Predatory; eats fish and other animals such as frogs.
- Native range
- Southeast Asia, including the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java and Borneo.
Catching it
- Season
- Fishable all year. At Tasik Temenggor many anglers prefer the wetter months, from October to January.
- Methods
- Lure casting
- Baits and lures
- Surface lures
Eating
Cultured for food in Malaysia and several neighbouring countries.