Ever seen those tile-like scales on the top of the head of a snake? Those are called cephalic (derived from the Greek word kephale which means head) plates. Now you know why snakehead fish are called as such, because they have the same pattern of scales on the top of their heads, and because their elongated faces resemble that of a snake.
Ceylon snakeheads (Channa orientalis) are endemic to Sri Lanka and are only found in the areas of the Southwestern lowlands and the Mahaweli River basin, thus making them extremely sensitive to changes in habitat. They are locally known as kola kanayaa (කොල කනයා). They are carnivorous and operate as ambush hunters and would eat anything smaller than themselves.
Generally, snakeheads can get large (such as the striped snakehead [Channa striata] or loolaa [ලූලා] as the locals call it) and therefore are prized as a food source in most Asian countries.
The Ceylon snakehead on the other hand, happens to be small, reaching only about 10 cm in length and is therefore categorised as a dwarf snakehead. There is a sinhalese saying about the loolaa and the kanayaa (kanayaa is an umbrella term in general and does not allude to one specific species) comparing their apparent size which roughly translates to say “kanayaa becomes the boss in the pit a loolaa is absent – ලූලා නැති වළට කනයා පණ්ඩිතයා ලු”, which means that an incapable person can get a powerful position if others in the fray are even more incapable (local politics in a nutshell).
A snakehead’s greatest party trick is its ability to survive outside of water for up to four days if the weather conditions outside are sufficiently wet. How they do this is by the use of accessory respiratory organs (apart from gills, there are small air chambers covered in blood vessels, which enable snakeheads to “breathe” air from outside if the conditions are right). Snakeheads also possess two tubes in front of their faces called anterior nostrils, which help with air circulation.
Ceylon snakehead males are smaller than females, but they are more intense in color (which deepens during mating season).
After courtship, the male accepts fertilized eggs from the female and holds them in his mouth until they hatch. This behavior, called paternal mouth breeding, is observed in many snakehead species. Once hatched, the female provides the fry with infertile eggs for sustenance until they are mature enough to find food on their own.
They are a hardy species, and have a tolerance for muddy, murky water. But because of the high demand of having them as ornamental fish, Ceylon snakeheads are being taken from their habitats. Plus the drastic increase in deforestation has also added to the drop in their population in the wild. It rightfully falls on us to raise awareness on the preservation of the ecosystems of these beautiful creatures, so they can be rightfully appreciated by the future generations, also.
