SPECIES OF FRESH WATER FISH IN MALAYSIA

Toman (Channa Micropeltes)

The most attractive game fish among anglers is Toman (snakehead). Normally two hooks of fishing rods and casting is widely used for catching them. For the bait, Lampan Sungai or other carps or frogs are their attraction. Due to their aggressive behavior two hooks are used because they tends to struggle strongly to make themselves free. Hence, their big size, it is able to make them free if one hook is practiced. Among fishermen, they use long lines with two inch hooks or bigger. By using Lampan Sungai or other carps as bait the line will hung slightly submerged.

TOMAN - SNAKEHEADS Family : Channidae Genus : Channa Size : up to a metre in the wild Temperament : Very aggressive/predacious Distribution : Asia & South East Asia

Snakeheads - A common food fish in parts of Asia and a very fierce predator in the wild. It's known as snakehead due to the resemblance of its head to a snake. Snakeheads are freshwater fish from the genus Channa. The more popularly known species are the Toman (Giant snakehead) and the Haruan (Common snakehead). Both are considered food fish and can be bought from wet markets.

Juveniles swim in schools, but adults are solitary or occur in pairs. They build bubble nests, and are the top predators in many freshwater lakes in the region. They feed on almost anything - smaller fish, frogs, baby turtles and even baby ducks. The snakehead is tolerant of anaerobic conditions because it is endowed with an air breathing apparatus. Their air breathing capabilities allow them to 'walk' on land from one body of water to another by lateral undulations of their body. The fish can live in waters having pH values of 4 to 9 and can survive the drought season in low oxygen content muddy waters. The snakeheads settle in the mud of drying bodies of water and continue to burrow deeper as the drying continues. Here the fish can survive without water for several months in a torbid state, subsisting on atmospheric oxygen and stored fat until the rain returns.

Here's a brief summary of the two most common Snakeheads :-
Common Name(s) : Giant snakehead, red snakehead, Toman Sc. Name : Channa Micropeltes Habitat : It inhabits rivers, canals, lakes, ponds, swamps, marshes, padi fields, mining pools and road side ditches. It becomes the top predator in these waters. Water : 6.0-7.2 Temperature : 73- 80 °F Size : up to 1 metres / 36 inches. Diet : Live food, beef heart, worms, meaty foods. Breeding : Channas are nest-brooding species. The nest is prepared by the parent fish who bite off the aquatic vegetation over a roundish area in shallow water near the shore. The snakehead can breed when it is 9 months old, at a total length of about 21 cm. After the eggs are laid, they float and form a thin film at the surface. Generally, the male parent guards the nest during the incubation period which lasts 3 days. Attitude : Aggressive. Best kept with larger or similar size fishes. Description : The Toman is the largest of all Snakehead species in the world. They can grow to a length of about 1 metres and is an extremely tough and hardy predator. It is also considered to be one of the best fighting fresh water fish by local anglers. This quality, coupled with its good tasting flesh, makes the Toman one of the most sought after game fish in Singapore and Malaysia.