Snakehead: Toman

Toman, Giant Snakehead or Giant Mudfish is the largest and most aggressive species in the Channidae family. They are highly sought after by freshwater hardcore anglers for their explosive fight and strength. They have enormous energy to resist being caught and ability to dive deep into the waters. They are native to the fresh waters of Southeast Asia, including the Mekong and Chao Phraya River basins in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, and swamp and river of Malaysia and Indonesia. Juvenile Toman are red in colour, with orange and black lateral stripes appearing after about two months of age. As the Toman mature, they lose their stripes and redness, and develop a bluish-black and white pattern on its upper body. They can grow to 1.3 m (4.3 ft) in length and weight up to 20 kg (44 lb).

Toman have a unique adaptation for breathing air, using a primitive lung located just behind the gills. This allows them to survive in stagnant waters with low oxygen levels by coming to the surface to take air. They can also crawl onto land and travel short distances in muddy or swampy areas. Their diet primarily consists of fish, but they also consume frogs, small animals, and crustaceans.

For more detailed information on Channidae family members, click here.

Other names for the fish:

Chdor, Diep, Riel, Trey chhdaur, Trey chhdor, Trey diep, 小盾鱧, 小盾鳢, Indonesisk slangehovedfisk, Rød Slangehovedfisk, Juovakäärmeenpää, Tête de serpent d'Indonésie, ثعبانيّ الرّأس الأندونيسيّ, Giant snakehead, Indonesian snakehead, വാക വരാല്, പുലി വാക, പുള്ളി വാക, Malabar snakehead, Puli vaka, Vaaka varaal, Anak roman, Kamal fish, Pa do, Pa meng phou, Lei He, Lei Hu, Singapore dalag, Змееголов красный, Cabeza de serpiente rojo, ปลาชะโด, ปลาแมงพู่, ปลาอ้ายป๊อก, Pla ai pok, Pla cha do, Pla ma lang poo, Red snakehead, Cá bong, Cá Lóc bông