Orange-spotted Snakehead

About

This snakehead is legal to keep in the EU and in Lithuania, and it is worth saying that plainly, because almost everything written online about banned snakeheads is about a different fish. Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014 maintains the Union list of invasive alien species — 114 species as of August 2026 — and for anything on it, keeping, breeding, transport, sale and release are all prohibited. Exactly one snakehead is on that list: Channa argus, the northern snakehead, added in 2022. Channa aurantimaculata is not on it, and Lithuania has added no national restriction of its own, so buying and keeping this species is lawful here. The list is revised every few years, so check the current version before you buy. And that lawfulness stops at the EU's edge: the United States restricts the entire snakehead family, and 50 CFR 16.13 names Channa aurantimaculata in its enumerated list outright — importing it or moving it between states is prohibited there, and releasing one anywhere requires the wildlife agency's written permission. Rules differ this sharply between jurisdictions, so wherever you read this, check your own country's list, not ours. What the law does not do is make the fish manageable. This is a 40 cm obligate predator from the Brahmaputra basin in Assam that has to be kept entirely alone, breathes atmospheric air and drowns if it cannot reach the surface, and escapes: snakeheads are the most determined jumpers in the hobby, and one on the living-room floor is a dead fish. Releasing it is a different matter again — introducing any alien species to Lithuanian waters requires a permit that no aquarium fish will ever be granted.

Care

One fish, one tank, no exceptions. Seriously Fish sets the minimum base at 150 x 60 cm; even pairs and groups kept together for years turn on each other suddenly and fatally. The lid must be heavy, tight and complete, with a 3-5 cm gap of humid air left between it and the water — this fish breathes air, so a tank sealed to the brim kills it just as surely as an open one. Do not hold it at one temperature all year: Seriously Fish is firm that it must be given defined winter and summer periods rather than a constant temperature, and that it needs little food through the cold months. No source we could find puts a number on the winter target, so cool it inside the species' own 15-28 °C band rather than to a figure somebody invented. Sand substrate, heavy planting and bogwood, dim light, gentle flow. There are no safe tankmates: anything shorter than half its length is food, and anything longer is a fight.

Diet

Obligate predator on fish and insects. Offer bloodworm, earthworm, whole prawn, mussel and white fish flesh. No mammalian or avian meat, no feeder fish. Expect it to eat little or nothing through the cool winter period.

Telling males from females

There is no reliable way to sex this species by eye. That is the honest answer, not a gap in our data.

Similar species

Same category and the closest water parameters — if this species isn't quite it, start here.

Sold in Lithuania

These Lithuanian shops listed this species in their public catalogue (checked August 8, 2026). Stock moves — ask before you travel.

These links are unpaid: we get nothing for them and ask for nothing.

Frequently asked questions

What tank size does a Orange-spotted Snakehead need?

A Orange-spotted Snakehead needs an aquarium of at least 450 litres (118.9 US gallons) with a footprint at least 150 cm (59.1 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.

What water parameters does a Orange-spotted Snakehead need?

Orange-spotted Snakehead does best at 15–28 °C (59–82.4 °F), pH 6–8 and a general hardness of 2–20 °dGH.

Is the Orange-spotted Snakehead suitable for beginners?

Orange-spotted Snakehead is a demanding species best attempted with some experience — it needs stable, closely watched conditions to thrive.

Sources

• Seriously Fish — Channa aurantimaculata (Orange-spotted Snakehead)
• FishBase — Channa aurantimaculata (Goldspotted snakehead)
• Wikipedia — Orange-spotted snakehead
• European Commission — Invasive alien species
• Wikipedia — List of invasive alien species of Union concern
• LR aplinkos ministerija — Sąjungai susirūpinimą keliančių invazinių svetimų rūšių sąrašas
• LR aplinkos ministerija — Invazinių Lietuvoje rūšių sąrašas
• eCFR — 50 CFR 16.13, importation of live or dead fish, mollusks, and crustaceans (current text)