The body is elongated and cylindrical, reaching over 50 centimeters in length.It is a dull greenish-brown with three longitudinal black spots, and two black longitudinal bands run from the eye to the gill opening.The mouth is large with sharp teeth, and both the dorsal fin and anal fin are prolonged like mountain ridges.There is a broad suprabranchial chamber above the throat that can breathe air.It is ferocious in nature; young fish feed on copepods and cladocerans, living at the bottom of freshwater habitats.Small fish prey on aquatic insects, small shrimp, and other small fish.As they grow to over 8 centimeters, they begin to prey on other fish, making them one of the pests in freshwater aquaculture.
