Food habits, growth pattern and condition factor of snakehead (Channa striata) from Danau Bangkau, Indonesia

Abstract

The current research aims to provide valuable information on the food habits of snakehead (Channa striata) collected from Danau Bangkau, Indonesia. 220 snakeheads (265-439 mm total length and 207-950 g weight) consisting of 102 males (46%) and 118 females (54%), with the sex ratio of 1:1.2, were directly obtained from local fishermen. This study was conducted from July to September 2022. The food habits of snakehead adults were analyzed using the index of preponderance, while the larvae and fry food were determined with the plankton habitat analytical approach. The results showed that the snakehead adults consumed almost 90% small fish as main food, while the larvae and fry preferred the zooplankton (92.81%) 13 times better than phytoplankton (7.19%). The abundance of plankton categorized the water in the moderated fertility level, affecting the growth pattern of snakehead as a whole. Biologically, the fish grows negatively allometric with the condition factor value close to 1. Corrective actions to the snakehead fishery are also discussed.