Key Points of Snakehead Farming Technology and Introduction to Daily Management Methods

The snakehead, scientific name Channa argus, commonly known as caiyu, wubang or snakehead fish, is a common freshwater economic fish. Snakehead farming refers to the aquaculture production activity of raising snakehead fry to market size through artificial means such as ponds, cages or recirculating water systems, and many regions in China have a relatively long tradition of farming it.

The snakehead has strong vitality and outstanding tolerance to low oxygen; it has an auxiliary breathing organ on its head, so it can survive normally in water bodies with low dissolved oxygen and can still stay alive for a short time after leaving the water. It is a typical carnivorous fish with a fierce temperament, and when individuals in the same water body differ too much in size, big fish eating small fish easily occurs; therefore, during farming, attention should be paid to grading and dividing into ponds in a timely manner and to controlling stocking density well.

In daily management, the pond should be cleared and disinfected before the fry are stocked, after which the water quality should be kept clean, with regular and appropriate water changes or aeration, which can noticeably reduce the probability of disease outbreaks. For feeding, compound feed is mainly used, and ice-fresh small trash fish can also be added; adhering to feeding at fixed times, in fixed amounts and at fixed locations not only ensures growth speed but also reduces pollution of the water body by leftover bait.

Snakehead meat is firm, has few bones and a relatively high protein content; among the general public, snakehead soup is often used as a nourishing dietary dish, and market demand is relatively stable, making it suitable for farmers with the right conditions to develop. More common problems in farming include enteritis, body rot and parasites; prevention should be emphasized over treatment, with good water quality regulation, tool disinfection and daily pond patrol observation, and timely handling when abnormalities are found, so that healthy and high-quality commercial fish can be raised.