Channa marulius
(Hamilton 1822)
Family Channidae

Lateral view of bullseye snakehead
The bullseye snakehead shown above were collected in Broward County, Florida in 2015. These fish are now part of the Florida Museum ichthyology collection, UF 237863. Florida Museum photo by Zachary Randall

The bullseye snakehead is a member of the snakehead family. It has an elongate body that is cylindrical anteriorly and tapering posteriorly and a flattened head. The eye is in a dorsolateral position anteriorly, and there is a bright orange ocellus present on the upper caudal fin base. The fins are pale with a reddish tinge. The bullseye snakehead inhabits canals, pools, swamps and lakes with little or no current. This species is often found in beds of submerged aquatic vegetation.

Status & distribution