Toman (Channa Micropeltes)

The most attractive game fish among anglers is Toman (snakehead). Normally two hooks of fishing rods and casting is widely used for catching them. For the bait, Lampan Sungai or other carps or frogs are their attraction. Due to their aggressive behavior two hooks are used because they tends to struggle strongly to make themselves free. Hence, their big size, it is able to make them free if one hook is practiced. Among fishermen, they use long lines with two inch hooks or bigger. By using Lampan Sungai or other carps as bait the line will hung slightly submerged.

TOMAN - SNAKEHEADS Family : Channidae Genus : Channa Size : up to a metre in the wild Temperament : Very aggressive/predacious Distribution : Asia & South East Asia

Snakeheads - A common food fish in parts of Asia and a very fierce predator in the wild. It’s known as snakehead due to the resemblance of its head to a snake. Snakeheads are freshwater fish from the genus Channa. The more popularly known species are the Toman (Giant snakehead) and the Haruan (Common snakehead). Both are considered food fish and can be bought from wet markets.

Juveniles swim in schools, but adults are solitary or occur in pairs. They build bubble nests, and are the top predators in many freshwater lakes in the region. They feed on almost anything - smaller fish, frogs, baby turtles and even baby ducks. The snakehead is tolerant of anaerobic conditions because it is endowed with an air breathing apparatus. Their air breathing capabilities allow them to ‘walk’ on land from one body of water to another by lateral undulations of their body. The fish can live in waters having pH values of 4 to 9 and can survive the drought season in low oxygen content muddy waters. The snakeheads settle in the mud of drying bodies of water and continue to burrow deeper as the drying continues. Here the fish can survive without water for several months in a torbid state, subsisting on atmospheric oxygen and stored fat until the rain returns.

Here’s a brief summary of the two most common Snakeheads :- Read the rest of this entry »

The giant snake head Channa micropeltes is the largest in the Channidae family capable of growing over 5 feet.It is widely distributed in the freshwater of South East Asia and some regions of India.The scientific name of the giant snakehead is Channa micropeltes and other names include red snakehead redline snakehead Malabar snakehead and Ikan toman where ikan is Malay for fish.

The young of the giant snakehead is red in color with orange and black lateral stripes appearing after about two months.As the giant snakehead matures they lose their stripes and instead develops a bluish black and white pattern on their upper body. Juveniles sold in the aquarium fish trade are commonly called red or redline snakeheads.

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