#  >  > Living And Legal Affairs In Thailand >  >  > Farming & Gardening In Thailand >  >  > Thailands Zoos and Animals >  >  Northern Snakehead Fish

## dirtydog

*Northern Snakehead Fish*

Distinguishing features of the northern snakehead include a long dorsal fin with 49-50 rays, anal fin with 31-32 rays, small anteriorly-depressed head, eye above the middle part of the upper jaw, large mouth extending well beyond the eye, villiform teeth in bands, large canine on the lower jaw and palatines, length up to 40 inches (1.0 m), with one report of 60 inches (1.5m)[1], and weight up to 15 pounds (7 kg). Coloration is a golden tan to pale brown, with dark blotches on the sides and saddle-like blotches across the back. Blotches toward the front tend to separate between top and bottom sections, while rear blotches are more likely to be contiguous. Coloration is nearly the same between juveniles and adults, which is unusual among snakeheads. Coloration is similar to Channa maculata, but can be distinguished by two bar-like marks on the caudal peduncle (where the tail attaches): in Channa maculata, the rear bar is usually complete, with pale bar-like areas before and after, while in Channa argus, the rear bar is irregular and blotched, with no pale areas around it.[1]

The northern snakehead is a freshwater species and cannot tolerate salinity in excess of ten parts per thousand (Courtenay and Williams 2004). The northern snakehead is an obligate air breather; it utilizes a suprabranchial organ and a bifurcate ventral aorta that permits aquatic and aerial respiration (Ishimatsu and Itazaw 1981, Graham 1997). This unusual respiratory system allows it to live outside of water for several days, where concern is that it might wriggle its way to other bodies of water or be transported by humans. Note that only young of this species (not adults) may be able to move overland for short distances using wriggling motions (Courtenay and Williams 2004). The preferred habitats of this species are stagnant water with mud substrate and aquatic vegetation, or slow muddy streams; it is primarily piscivorous but is known to eat crustaceans, other invertebrates, and amphibians (Okada 1960). They build spawning nests in aquatic vegetation and females discharge eggs over the nest, which are externally fertilized by males.

Snakehead Fish Website

*Steamed Snakehead 
                                    In Chaozhou Style

**           Steps*
1)   Remove seeds of red pepper,            shred, wash pork and shred
           2)   Shred spring onion, salted vegetable and ginger, chop            parsley
         3)   Wash salted lemon, remove seeds and meat, shred the peels
           4)   Wash pork and mince, clean snakehead,  wipe dry (you            can cut it into 2 halves)
           5)  Place chopped parsley and few shredded spring onion on a flat            plate
         6)   Put snakehead on plate, cover with salted vegetable and            salted lemon
           7)   Put minced pork, shredded red pepper and shredded ginger on            and surrounding
           8)   Steam fish for 10 minutes by high heat until cooked (2            halves fish for 8 minutes) 
           9)   Pour fish sauce into small container, add in sauce and mix            well
         10) Add in the mixed sauce to fish, sprinkle spring onion on
           11) Heat wok with 3 tbsp of oil, add in the surface of fish, serve                 

*Remark* 
          tbsp -     table spoon
              Salted Vegetable, salted lemon and bean paste can be purchased in          any dry-food store...
         If you cannot purchase salted vegetable, and use          2 pieces of salted lemon....
           If you cannot purchase salted lemon, just use 5 pieces of dry salted            plums......
 *There are 2 optioned recipes :*

 ~                   same materials as above, no salted vegetable and lemon 
                  ~  some mashed garlic, 2 tbsp of Chaozhou bean paste
                  ~  sauce : 
                       sugar and light soy sauce each 1/2                  tbsp
                     approx. 150ml of chicken stock, some                  sesame oil and pepper
                  ~  clean and cut fish into 2 halves
                  ~  marinated 30 minutes by 1/2 tbsp of salt and pepper
                  ~  coat some corn flour on the surface of fish
                  ~  heat wok with 3 tbsp of oil, fry fish in low heat
                  ~  dish up fish when fish is fried into golden of both                  sizes
                ~  heat wok again with 1 tbsp of oil, add in ginger and                  garlic
                ~  add in bean paste, sprinkle some wine, add in sauce
                  ~  add in fried fish when sauce is boiled, cook for 1                  minute
                ~  dish up, sprinkle shredded spring onion and red pepper
                  ~  pour in fish sauce, serve 
  
 
*                Cold Serve Snakehead*   
            ~                   materials : snakehead and bean paste 
                  ~  wash snakehead, marinate by salt and pepper for 60                  minutes
                ~  wiped fish by dry cloth, put into a bamboo steam case
                  ~  steamed by high heat for 10-12 minutes until fully                  cooked
                ~  let fish cool down  ( not to chill ) , serve with                  bean paste

More recipes here.




*Thai Freshwater Fish*

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## robinyates

thanks for all the info on Thai fish,

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## Thetyim

It's one of the best tasting freshwater fish in Thailand.

In a restaurant ask for Pla Chon.
If you are up north then it is also called Pla Lim & Pla Jalodt

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## Pol the Pot

I'd agree, a good fresh water fish. Very good in those fish shaped 'steamers' with kratchet (water acacia) and a sauce similar to gaeng som.

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## nigelandjan

Looking forward to trying one of them next time I,m over  :Smile: 

          Shame about the u tube vid I can,t view it

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## misskit

> Very good in those fish shaped 'steamers' with kratchet (water acacia) and a sauce similar to gaeng som.


Love that dish. There is a restaurant nearby here selling it prepared very nicely. Think I need that for my dinner tonight.

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## DrAndy

the bones are bastards though

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## Thetyim

^
Have to get a decent size fish or the bones are a pain

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## DrAndy

we get ours from our neighbours when they drain their ponds

some great big fish, up to 3/4 kilos.  maybe more!

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## Bettyboo

People reckon that 0.5kg pla chon are the best eating... I like it BBQ's.

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## DrAndy

a bit small and bony although very sweet

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## FailSafe

They used to be found in all the local aquarium shops when I was a kid in New York, but they've been illegal for sale for years as once they got too big for household fish tanks (which always happened- the things grow like weeds) people would dump them into local rivers- the snakeheads would breed and eat every other indigenous species in the river, and they're now considered a 'nuisance fish' in many places in the States.

I used to have a couple- nasty bastards, but great fish.

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