CATDOLL : CATDOLL: How big do snakehead fish grow? When do they spawn?

How big do snakehead fish grow? When do they spawn?

Snakehead fish are freshwater fish that have a distinctive appearance, usually with a black body and red eyes. They live in freshwater and sometimes in saltwater, feeding mainly on shrimp, insects, small fish and other small creatures. So how big can it grow? When does it spawn?

How big can snakehead fish grow?

Snakehead fish can generally grow to 5 jin, and its life span can reach more than 100 years, making it the longevity fish among freshwater fish. Snakehead fish has a strong vitality, ranking first among freshwater fish.

The largest snakehead found so far is nearly 1.5 meters long (some say 1.2 meters) and weighs 15 pounds (about 7 kilograms). It is said to have been found in Russia.

When do snakehead fish spawn?

The sexual maturity age of snakehead is 2 winters, when the individual is more than 30 cm long and weighs more than 0.5 kg. A 50 cm long snakehead can carry 35,000 eggs, a 40 cm long snakehead can carry 20,000 eggs, and a 30 cm long snakehead can carry about 10,000 eggs. Generally, each kilogram can carry 10,000 to 20,000 eggs, and the eggs are laid in multiple times. The spawning season is from April to May in southern China and from May to July in northern China. The breeding water temperature for snakehead is 18-30℃, and the optimum temperature is 23-28℃. Natural spawning is mostly carried out on the still water shore with lush aquatic plants.

Before spawning, the male and female fishes will jointly pick up water plants or plant fragments to build a circular fish nest with a diameter of about 50 cm, floating on the water surface. After the nest is built, before dawn when the sea is calm, the male and female fishes will chase each other, estrus, and finally lay eggs on the nest.

After spawning, the parents lurk at the bottom of the nest to protect the eggs until the seedlings grow to 4 to 5 centimeters. Then the parents leave the nest and stop protecting the seedlings.