Ecological Roles, Nutritional Value, Conservation Status, and Aquaculture Development of Snakehead (Channa striata) in Peatland Ecosystems: A Review
Keywords:
Striped Snakehead, Ecological, PeatlandAbstract
Peatlands and wetlands are unique ecosystems rich in biodiversity that play a crucial role in global carbon sequestration. The snakehead (Channa striata Bloch, 1793) is a keystone species in these ecosystems, renowned for its remarkable ability to adapt to extreme environmental conditions, including hypoxia and low pH, facilitated by its suprabranchial labyrinth organ. This review aims to synthesize the current scientific knowledge on the ecology, biology, economic potential, and aquaculture development prospects of snakehead fish in peatland and wetland ecosystems in Indonesia. A systematic literature review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines, with searches performed across Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, PubMed, and the Garuda Portal databases. The findings reveal that snakehead fish occupy a critical ecological role as apex predators within wetland food webs, while simultaneously demonstrating considerable economic and biomedical value attributed to their high albumin and protein content, which promotes wound healing. Nevertheless, snakehead fish populations are increasingly threatened by overfishing and peatland habitat degradation driven by land conversion for agriculture and oil palm plantations. The development of paludiculture-based aquaculture on restored peatlands presents a promising synergistic solution that reconciles ecosystem conservation with the economic empowerment of local communities. However, persistent challenges including water quality management, limited market access, and the need for regulatory harmonization must be addressed through a comprehensive and integrated approach.
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