Family : Channidae (Snakeheads)
Order : Perciformes  (perch-likes)
Class : Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Fishbase Name : Great snakehead
Fish Name : Channa marulia
Max size : 183 cm TL (male/unsexed; Ref. 6351); max. published weight: 30.0 kg (Ref. 4833)
Environment : benthopelagic; potamodromous
Climate : tropical; 24 - 28°C
Global Importance : fisheries: commercial; aquaculture: commercial; aquarium: public aquariums
Resilience: Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.23)Distribution : Asia: India to China, south to Thailand and Cambodia (Ref. 12693) and Pakistan (Ref. 4833).
Diagnosis :
Biology : Occurs in sluggish or standing water in canals, lakes, and swamps (Ref. 12693). Inhabits waters with submerged aquatic vegetation (Ref. 12693). Usually found only in deep pools in rivers and occasionally in lakes. Enters flooded forest (Ref. 9497). Carnivorous and subsists on fish, frogs, snakes, insects, earthworms and tadpoles (Ref. 1479). There are reports of this species taking water birds, snakes, and rodents. Males are territorial. May bite when caught (Elliot Bligh, pers. comm., 2001)
Threatened : Dangerous:  
Dangerous : traumatogenic
Coordinator :
Main Ref : Rüber, L., R. Britz and R. Zardoya. 2006. (Ref. 58343)

India country information
Common Names : Bullseye snakehead, सोल, ਸਾਵਲ, सोरा, ചേറു മീന്, கோரி வராலவுரீ, ਕੁਬਰਾ, அவீரீ, அவிரி, पुमुरी, ബ്രാല്, பூவிரால், ಮದಿಂಜಿ , పూల అ మల్లి, Avalu, Aviri, Aviu, Bohr, Bral, Chaeru veraal, Coaree veralavuree, Curuva, Dowlah, Gajal, Gajar, Giant snakehead, Haal, Hoovina-mural, Iru viral, Kalamasa, Kubrah, Madinji, Maral, Ngamuporom, Phool-mural, Phoola-chapa, Pool-a-malle, Poomenu, Pumuri, Pumurl, Puveral, Saal, Sal, Sawal, Sawl, Vral
Status : native
Salinity : freshwater
Uses : no uses