Thread: Northern Snakehead Fish

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